Latest news with #Yasseral-Farhan
Qatar Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Over 1,400 killed in March violence in Syria coast
dpa Damascus A Syrian fact-finding committee on Tuesday confirmed that 1,426 people - mostly civilians, including many Alawites - were killed during a wave of violence in the country's coastal provinces between March 6 and 9. According to committee spokesman Yasser al-Farhan, the clashes began when remnants of armed groups linked to toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad launched coordinated attacks on government forces in Latakia, Tartous and Hama, killing 238 army and security personnel. Among the dead were 90 women, most of them unarmed civilians, the committee said as it presented its findings at a press conference in Damascus. The attackers were described as organized, unlawful groups loyal to the ousted Assad regime, now operating independently and resisting transitional authorities. The new government launched a military operation to quash the violence. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based war monitor, estimated at the time that over 1,600 people, mainly from the Alawite minority, to which Assad belonged, had been killed in the unrest. According to the committee, 550 individuals have been identified as responsible for the attacks and subsequent sectarian violence, though their names remain confidential, with only 31 suspects arrested so far.
Asharq Al-Awsat
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Preliminary Report Due from Syria Coastal Violence Probe Panel
The spokesman for Syria's fact-finding committee investigating the recent coastal violence said on Monday the panel may request an extension of its presidential mandate, set to expire on Wednesday, due to the widening scope of its work. Yasser al-Farhan told Asharq Al-Awsat the committee will submit a 'preliminary report,' but stressed that it will not release any conclusions or recommendations until the investigation is complete. The committee was appointed under a presidential decree and began its work on March 9 with a one-month deadline. 'That period ends on Wednesday, but the committee has not yet concluded its investigations,' Farhan said. He noted that the panel is currently operating in the coastal city of Tartus and is moving to other locations where violations were reported. 'The committee will not publish any findings unless they are based on solid reasoning and evidence that supports the facts, characterizes the violations, and identifies suspects,' Farhan said. 'This requires analyzing and cross-checking all testimonies, assessing the legal context of the acts, and drawing clear conclusions and recommendations,' he added. A wave of deadly violence swept through Syria's coastal region early last month, claiming the lives of civilians from the Alawite community as well as members of the general security forces, prompting the formation of an independent investigative committee. The attacks took place in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus and Baniyas. The government blamed pro-Assad armed groups for targeting security forces, while military and paramilitary personnel were themselves accused of killing civilians in retaliatory assaults. In response, the Syrian presidency formed the Independent National Committee for Investigation and Fact-Finding into the Coastal Incidents, comprised of legal experts. The panel announced on March 25 that it had collected dozens of testimonies but said it was still too early to release any findings. Asked whether the committee includes representatives of victims or their families, Farhan told Asharq Al-Awsat that the panel's members are not government employees but independent legal professionals. 'Some of them live outside Syria and have worked in Europe or other regions. Others are active in documenting human rights violations and have memorandums of understanding and cooperation with the United Nations,' he said. 'Two of the members are Syrian judges, and judges are generally regarded as an independent.' Farhan stressed that the committee acts on behalf of the victims and their families. 'Its members are neutral and do not represent any single party.' 'Their work is to be close to the people,' he said, noting that the panel has met with community leaders from across the coastal region to listen to their concerns and better understand the context surrounding the unrest.
Rudaw Net
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Over 100 testimonies recorded in western Syria violence probe: Investigation committee spox
Also in Syria Syria calls for international probe into deadly Israeli attacks: FM Israeli shelling on Syria's Daraa claims lives, sparks wave of displacement: Local authorities Afrin returnees decry ruined livelihoods after years of displacement Israel says struck military bases in Syria A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Some 95 testimonies and 30 written and audio reports have been recorded thus far, as part of an ongoing investigation into recent human rights violations in Syria's western coastal areas, while the final findings are yet to be disclosed, the spokesperson for the investigative committee announced on Tuesday. "The committee examined nine scenes where violations took place,' stated Yasser al-Farhan during a press conference, adding that the committee has collected testimonies from 'security and military authorities as well as civilians.' 'We expect that a special court would be established to pursue those involved in the crimes,' Farhan noted, elaborating that the committee is also working to facilitate the return of displaced families to the affected areas. The committee is investigating the circumstances surrounding the armed confrontations which erupted in the Alawite-majority coastal areas of western Syria in early March, when loyalists of ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched attacks on security forces affiliated with the new leadership in Damascus. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, around 1,500 people - mostly Alawite civilians - have been killed in the violence, with most of the casualties resulting from attacks by government or government-affiliated forces. The killings have drawn widespread international condemnation. In response to the violence, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on March 9 ordered the formation of an 'independent national committee' to "identify the causes, circumstances, and details' behind the deadly clashes. The committee is expected to submit its findings to the presidency 'within a maximum of 30 days from its formation,' according to a Syrian presidency statement. Upon the committee's formation, Farhan emphasized its 'independence and impartiality,' noting that the committee is developing a witnesses interview program. He clarified that while it 'would not disclose the results of its investigations,' it would submit its findings to the Syrian judiciary while ensuring witness privacy. On Tuesday, Farhan stated that 'it is too early to reveal the outcomes of the investigations,' adding that it would also be 'difficult' to complete the investigation within a month, hinting at a possible extension for the committee to complete its works.
Express Tribune
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Syria determined to 'prevent unlawful revenge'
Yasser al-Farhan, said Syria was "determined to enshrine justice and the rule of law. Photo AFP A fact-finding committee formed by Syria's new authorities to investigate a wave of deadly violence said on Tuesday the country was determined to "prevent unlawful revenge". A wave of violence broke out last Thursday, mainly along the Mediterranean coast, the heartland of the Alawite minority, the worst since former president Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December. Security forces and allied groups killed at least 1,093 civilians since Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor. The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday said it had documented "summary executions" that appeared "to have been carried out on a sectarian basis". "In a number of extremely disturbing instances, entire families — including women, children and individuals hors de combat — were killed, with predominantly Alawite cities and villages targeted in particular," it said. At a press conference in Damascus, fact-finding committee spokesman Yasser al-Farhan said: "The new Syria is determined to enshrine justice and the rule of law, protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens, prevent unlawful revenge and guarantee that there is no impunity." Farhan said the committee was working on "gathering and reviewing evidence" related to the wave of violence. He added the committee would "listen to the eyewitnesses" and establish mechanisms for people to contact the investigators, as well as gather and verify video evidence. The findings will be submitted to the presidency and the judiciary, Farhan said. In Jableh in coastal Syria, a resident told AFP he had been terrorised by armed groups. "More than 50 people from among my family and friends have been killed," he said, speaking anonymously for his safety. "They gathered bodies with bulldozers and buried them in mass graves." The presidency announced on Sunday the formation of the committee to "investigate the violations against civilians and identify those responsible for them". It said it would present its findings within 30 days and that those found to be responsible for violations would be referred to the judiciary. The violence began on Thursday, after the attempted arrest of a wanted suspect, with an attack by Assad loyalists against security spiralling into clashes. The ensuing killings, mainly targeting members of Assad's Alawite minority, have been described as a "massacre" by the Observatory, local Christian leaders and US officials. Farhan said the committee would investigate events that occurred between Thursday and Saturday. The Britain-based Observatory, however, has reported more killings since, including on Monday. The authorities have announced the arrest of at least seven individuals since Monday accused of having committed violations against civilians, according to SANA. Speaking to AFP, many residents said they had witnessed the killing of civilians during violent fighting and security sweeps in the area. The Observatory and social media users shared footage showing bodies piled outside a house, and men in military garb shooting people at close range. AFP could not independently verify the images. "There is a huge number of people who have been suffering in Syria, in the coastal areas for five days -- and this needs to stop," UN human rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan told a media briefing. "According to many testimonies collected by our office, perpetrators raided houses, asking residents whether they were Alawite or Sunni before proceeding to either kill or spare them accordingly. Some survivors told us that many men were shot dead in front of their families." UN rights commissioner Volker Turk has called for accountability for the deadly violence. Human Rights Watch on Tuesday also called on Syria's new authorities to ensure accountability for the mass killings of hundreds of civilians in recent days in the coastal heartland of the Alawite minority. "Syria's new leaders promised to break with the horrors of the past, but grave abuses on a staggering scale are being reported against predominantly Alawite Syrians in the coastal region and elsewhere in Syria," said HRW's deputy regional director Adam Coogle. "Government action to protect civilians and prosecute perpetrators of indiscriminate shootings, summary executions, and other grave crimes must be swift and unequivocal," he said in a statement decrying the "coastal killing spree". The latest violence has marked the gravest threat to Syria's new authorities, calling into question their ability to govern following repeated vows that they would respect the country's various minorities. The new authorities on Monday announced a surprise deal with the autonomous Kurdish administration in the northeast to integrate its forces into the state security apparatus -- a move analysts say benefits both sides at a critical juncture.
