Syria Alawite community targeted with potential war crimes, UN commission suggests
In March, violence erupted along Syria's Alawite Mediterranean coast, resulting in a humanitarian crisis of significant proportions. According to a UN commission, the violence involved summary executions, torture, murder, looting, and burning of homes, primarily targeting Alawite civilians, causing the displacement of tens of thousands[1].
The report, which documents more than 1,700 deaths, mostly Alawites, during these attacks, identifies the interim government forces and their allies as the primary perpetrators of systematic violence[1]. However, pro-Assad forces loyal to the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime were also implicated in the violence[1].
The conflict saw multiple parties involved, with the newly installed Sunni Islamist-led government forces launching operations in the region after claiming to be attacked by remnants of Assad’s forces[1]. The commission found "reasonable grounds to believe" that members of the security forces and other private individuals engaged in "serious violations of international human rights law"[1].
The nature of the violence comprises sectarian massacres, forced displacement, and potential war crimes committed by both the anti-Assad interim government forces and loyalists of the ousted regime[1]. Sectarian dimensions fueled the violence, with calls to jihad from some mosques in support of the interim government, and targeted threats against Alawite communities[1].
The UN commission found that the violence followed a systematic pattern across multiple locations[1]. The commission continues to receive information about ongoing violations in many of the affected areas, including abductions, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances[1].
The commission's chair, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, urged accountability and expanded efforts to arrest perpetrators[1]. US envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack called the report a "serious step towards definable and traceable metrics to the Syrian government's responsibility, transparency, and accountability."[1]
During Assad's rule, he cultivated an image as a defender of minorities, despite his authoritarian tendencies leading to civil war[1]. The UN commission was granted "unfettered access" to the area by the post-Assad government for its investigation[1]. The commission stated that the violations likely amount to war crimes[1].
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani took "serious note of the alleged violations," saying they "appear to be consistent with the findings" of the Syrian inquiry[1]. Human rights groups and international organisations reported that entire families, including women, children, and the elderly, were killed[1].
The UN commission is now investigating recent violence in Syria's Druze-majority Sweida province. Commission chair Paulo Sergio Pinheiro emphasised the need for accountability and justice for all victims of the ongoing conflict in Syria.
- The UN commission's investigation revealed that the violence in Syria's Alawite Mediterranean coast involved serious violations of international human rights law, including summary executions, torture, murder, looting, and burning of homes, which primarily targeted Alawite civilians, and these violations likely amount to war crimes.
- General news outlets reported that the conflict in Syria has involved war-and-conflicts between multiple parties, including the anti-Assad interim government forces, loyalists of the ousted regime, and international players, and these parties have been implicated in crimes-and-justice, such as sectarian massacres, forced displacement, abductions, arbitrary arrests, and enforced disappearances.
- Politics in Syria have been increasingly polarized along religious lines, with some mosques calling for jihad in support of the interim government and targeted threats against Alawite communities, and these sectarian dimensions have fueled the ongoing violence and human rights abuses in the country.
