Greater than 1,400 individuals, principally civilians, had been killed in a number of days of sectarian violence in Syria’s coastal areas earlier this yr, a authorities committee tasked with investigating the assaults has discovered.
The committee stated it had recognized 298 suspects implicated in critical violations throughout the violence within the nation’s Alawite heartland that left a minimum of 1,426 members of the minority group useless in March.
Tuesday’s findings come after a new wave of violence involving the nation’s Druze group, elevating additional questions over the brand new authorities’s capacity to handle sectarian tensions and keep safety after the December overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad – himself an Alawite.
The March violence came about in a predominantly Alawite area of Syria’s coast, the place authorities forces and allied teams had been accused of finishing up abstract executions, principally focusing on Alawite civilians, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights saying greater than 1,700 individuals had been killed.
The committee’s report stated there was no proof that Syria’s army management ordered assaults on the Alawite group.
The committee’s investigation documented “critical violations towards civilians on March 7, 8 and 9, together with homicide, premeditated homicide, looting, destruction and burning of properties, torture and sectarian insults”, spokesman Yasser al-Farhan advised a information convention in Damascus.
The committee confirmed “the names of 1,426 useless, together with 90 ladies, with many of the relaxation being civilians” from the Alawite group, he stated, including that an unspecified variety of additional useless had not been verified.
The investigation additionally “recognized 298 people by title” who had been suspected of involvement within the violations, al-Farhan continued, describing the determine as provisional.
These have been referred for prosecution, and 37 individuals have been arrested, officers advised journalists.
They didn’t say what number of suspects had been members of safety forces.
‘Greater than simply violations’
Authorities have accused gunmen loyal to al-Assad of instigating the violence, launching lethal assaults that killed dozens of safety personnel.
The committee stated 238 members of the military and safety forces had been killed within the assaults within the provinces of Tartous, Latakia and Hama.
About 200,000 pro-government army reinforcements then converged on the realm, based on al-Farhan.
Jana Mustafa, a 24-year-old scholar from Baniyas whose father was killed through the violence, stated she had not been ready for the report “as a result of the reality was clear to me”.
“The variety of our bodies, the mass graves and the screams of the victims had been sufficient to make clear what occurred,” she stated, expressing disappointment that the committee’s bulletins appeared to incorporate “justifications for the whole lot that occurred”.
“The problem is greater than simply violations. It was directed towards a whole sect,” she added.
The committee stated it based mostly its report on greater than 30 on-site visits, conferences with dozens of individuals within the cities and villages the place violations occurred, and testimonies from a whole bunch of witnesses and victims. It additionally heard from authorities officers.
Al-Farhan stated the committee had recognized individuals “linked to sure army teams and factions” amongst these concerned within the violence, including it believed they “violated army orders and are suspected of committing violations towards civilians”.
‘Dissatisfied and annoyed’
Rama Hussein, 22, whose three sisters, two cousins and grandfather had been killed within the Jableh area, stated she was “unhappy, disillusioned and annoyed” with the committee.
“Nobody listened to my testimony, nobody visited us – I don’t know who this committee met or who they noticed,” she stated.
“I hope we see actual accountability, not simply studies and press conferences,” she stated, calling for compensation for the households of these killed.
Human rights teams and worldwide organisations have stated whole households had been killed, together with ladies, youngsters and the aged.
Gunmen stormed properties and requested residents whether or not they had been Alawite or Sunni earlier than killing or sparing them, they stated.
Committee chairman Jumaa al-Anzi stated authorities had been consulted to establish people who appeared in movies on social media documenting violations, and that a few of them had been included among the many suspects.
The physique stated two lists of individuals “suspected of involvement in assaults or violations” had been referred to the judiciary.
Al-Anzi, the committee’s chair, stated that “we’ve no proof that the [military] leaders gave orders to commit violations”.
The presidency had stated new Syrian chief Ahmed al-Sharaa had obtained the committee’s report on July 13, the identical day that sectarian violence erupted within the Druze-majority province of Suwayda.
These clashes broke out between Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans and Druze armed teams, and authorities safety forces who intervened to revive order.
Druze armed teams launched revenge assaults on Bedouin communities.
Lots of have been killed, and the United Nations says greater than 128,500 individuals have been displaced. The violence has largely stopped as a ceasefire takes maintain.
The committee chair stated the violence in Suwayda is “painful for all Syrians” however “past the jurisdiction” of his committee.
“Time will reveal what occurred and who’s answerable for it,” he stated.