(Beirut) – The Syrian transitional government has made commitments to ensure accountability for the violence that erupted across three governorates in March 2025, yet it has fallen short in providing transparency regarding the investigation’s scope, particularly concerning the involvement of senior military and civilian leaders. A report released today by Human Rights Watch, Syrians for Truth and Justice, and Syrian Archive reveals a disturbing lack of clarity about how the government intends to hold those in command accountable for their roles in the violence.
The 51-page report, titled “Are you Alawi? Identity-Based Killings During Syria’s Transition,” details a range of egregious abuses perpetrated by government forces, aligned armed groups, and volunteer fighters. These include summary executions, deliberate property destruction, and mistreatment of detainees. The findings indicate these atrocities occurred within a framework of coordinated military operations directed by the Defense Ministry, whose officials continued to manage troop deployments even after reports of mass killings became publicly known.
“The government’s acknowledgment of atrocities is a step forward, but it falls short of ensuring justice for higher-level officials who enabled or failed to stop them,” stated Hiba Zayadin, a senior Syria researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Failing to hold accountable commanders and officials responsible for deploying and directing abusive forces leaves the door open to further reprisals and atrocities in Syria.”
The violence was ignited by a series of coordinated attacks that began on March 6, carried out by armed men described by the government as loyalists of former President Bashar al-Assad. These attacks resulted in the deaths of at least 200 government personnel. In retaliation, government forces launched security operations throughout the region, during which widespread identity-based abuses targeted the Alawi community, perceived to have remained loyal to the previous regime.
Based on over 100 interviews with victims, witnesses, and journalists, along with verified audiovisual evidence and satellite imagery, the report documents extensive abuses in more than 24 towns and neighborhoods between March 6 and March 10. These atrocities included summary executions, home invasions, looting, arson, and identity-based violence.
While the investigation did not uncover explicit orders to commit these atrocities, it confirmed the Defense Ministry’s significant role in mobilizing troops and coordinating their operations. Authorities summoned tens of thousands of fighters from across the country, assigning them to shared operational zones. Fighters reported receiving orders through channels associated with the ministry, including directives to transfer control of secured areas to police forces.
Fighters disclosed to Human Rights Watch that military leadership continued to deploy forces even after they became aware, or should have been aware, of the ongoing killings and abuses.
“You do not need a signed order to hold senior officials and faction commanders accountable,” emphasized Bassam al-Ahmed, co-founder and executive director at Syrians for Truth and Justice. “Ministry of Defense officials had the power to mobilize tens of thousands of fighters, assign operations, and maintain ongoing actions across numerous towns. The crucial question is not just who issued the orders, but why no one in authority intervened to stop the widespread killings and looting. This reflects a failure of leadership and a failure of will.”
On July 22, the Syrian National Committee for Investigation and Fact-Finding into the Events on the Coast presented a summary of its findings, reporting at least 1,426 deaths and the referral of 298 suspects to prosecutors. While the committee’s findings mark a notable shift away from the culture of denial and impunity that characterized the Assad government, they still fail to address deeper institutional issues, particularly the roles of senior officials in enabling or neglecting to prevent the widespread abuses.
The committee framed the violence as acts of personal revenge; however, the findings suggest a more extensive campaign of collective punishment directed at Alawi communities. Numerous videos and witness testimonies corroborate that victims were often interrogated about their identity before being executed, with armed groups using anti-Alawi rhetoric during their operations.
One resident of Brabshbo, a village in southern Latakia, recounted a harrowing experience on March 8 when armed men entered her home. After being assured by local officials that civilians would be safe if they remained indoors, they were confronted by attackers who shot her husband simply for being Alawi. “They didn’t ask about his work or anything, they just shot him,” she recalled.
Fighters affiliated with the ministry acknowledged that individuals were executed based solely on their perceived identity. A member of a former Syrian National Army faction claimed that during house raids, “People were killed just because they were Alawi.”
The report by Human Rights Watch, Syrians for Truth and Justice, and Syrian Archive highlights the committee’s own admission of prior abuses by security forces leading up to March. Patterns of arbitrary detentions, home invasions, and identity-targeting in Alawi communities had reportedly begun weeks earlier in Homs and rural Hama. Such abuses have persisted, as evidenced by ongoing reports of summary executions and property destruction in the southern province of Sweida during recent security operations conducted by the Defense and Interior Ministries.
The committee’s engagement with civil society and international partners, along with its commitment to justice, represents a promising development, according to the report’s authors. Its recommendations for institutional reforms, transitional justice, reparations, and the consolidation of armed groups under transparent and accountable frameworks are constructive proposals that require immediate action.
However, the effectiveness of these efforts hinges on forthcoming steps that emphasize public transparency and substantive accountability across all levels of governance.
Syrian authorities are urged to release their comprehensive investigative report, safeguard the identities of witnesses, and guarantee due process for the accused. Furthermore, they must ensure that judicial procedures address both individual crimes and institutional complicity.
Access to international accountability mechanisms, including those from the United Nations, must be facilitated, alongside the implementation of security reforms that include vetting fighters, removing those with histories of abuse, and instituting clear command structures and codes of conduct.
“This is not just about a single week in March,” stated Jelnar Ahmad, program manager at Syrian Archive. “It reflects a broader pattern that necessitates structural and transparent solutions.”
