Findings of national investigation into Syria’s coast massacres spark anger

Findings of national investigation into Syria’s coast massacres spark anger among victims and human rights defenders

Human rights defenders say findings fail to acknowledge the structural role of interim government as head of security forces responsible for violence
Survivors and families of victims await justice and reparation amid fears of escalation in sectarian violence in other regions
Investigation neglects to investigate the kidnapping of women in the coastal areas

Calls for accountability increase following the national investigation committee, established by the interim authorities in the aftermath of the coastal massacres in March, presented its findings at a press conference in Damascus yesterday.

The committee based its report on 930 testimonies from witnesses and confirmed the killing of 1469 people, civilians and members of armed groups, but it failed to recognise responsibility of the interim authorities in charge of the security forces who committed the crimes, laying the blame on individual acts of revenge instead. There was a stark absence of any recognition of its role to protect civilians or maintain control of its forces.

According to the committee, around 200,000 armed men mobilized on March 7, heading towards the coastal region, leading to “widespread but non-systemic violations, including killings, rape, stealing and sectarian incitement.” The committee denied having received reports of women kidnapped and disappeared during the same period, despite UN and civil society reports into the crimes.

In response to the findings, Hanadi Zahlout, a Syrian activist who lost three brothers to the coastal massacres, said:

“My brothers were killed, along with more than 1,400 civilians who were executed, in widespread and systematic violations. Although the committee has the same access to facts, documentation and witnesses, their conclusion does not name those suspected of involvement in giving the orders to commit the violations.

“I call on the authorities to prosecute the actual perpetrators—those who pulled the trigger—as well as those who issued the death warrants and perpetrated the systematic violations. End the sectarian hate speech and tell the whole truth, because half-truths are time bombs that will only contribute to new massacres. Only justice based on the full truth can save Syria.”

Razan Rashidi, Executive Director of The Syria Campaign said:

“The release of the findings is now a crucial moment for Syria’s new authority to show that accountability and justice are more than just slogans. While the committee rightly acknowledged the catastrophic human losses, it failed to recognize the role of the Syrian security and army that enabled the violations. Failing to do so will only lead to more sectarian violence, which we’ve already seen in Suwayda last week. The interim authorities hold the ultimate responsibility to protect its citizens, end impunity and ensure its security services do not commit violations. Avoiding to acknowledge this responsibility or their failures will only make transitional justice more difficult.

“Syria is on the brink of civil war and the interim authorities, if serious about ensuring an end to such horrors, must bear its responsibility by being fully transparent, bringing justice to victims and holding perpetrators at the highest levels to account.”

Sema Nassar, a Syrian human rights defender said:

“While the investigation committee’s report includes positive signs in acknowledging violations and identifying a number of suspects, fact-finding missions—according to international standards—are expected to proactively investigate violations within their mandate, not merely wait for submitted complaints.

“The report focused on a narrow three-day window, while it should have also addressed the extended impact of the violations that occurred during that period—particularly the cases of women being kidnapped in the same area during the same month. Moreover, the committee’s recommendations overlooked the most vulnerable groups, including women and children, reducing the violations against them to mere numbers, with no recognition of their suffering.”

Veronica Bellintani, Head of International Law Support, Syrian Legal Development Programme (SLDP) said:

“The Syrian government must now ensure criminal accountability and structural reform. All perpetrators, regardless of affiliation, must be prosecuted before independent and impartial civilian courts and sanctioned proportionately to the gravity of their crimes. The administration of justice must be free from political interference, and no impunity mechanisms, whether through immunities or the improper use of military jurisdiction, should be permitted to undermine the victims’ right to justice.This process must be transparent, inclusive, and subject to independent monitoring, particularly by Syrian civil society.”

Notes to editors
1. Syrian human rights groups with decades of experience documenting crimes of Assad, ISIS and other de facto authorities, like the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), exposed in a recently released report the killing of 1,060 civilians, among them 71 women and 61 children, in just a few days in early March 2025.