This publication was funded by the European Union, and in partnership with the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Syrians for Truth and Justice – STJ/ the publisher and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights.
1. Executive Summary:
This report, issued by Syrians for Truth and Justice (SFTJ), documents a series of grave violations committed against Alawite men and women civilians from March 10 to the end of June 2025, in the governorates of Latakia, Homs, Hama, Tartous, and Damascus Rural.
These violations come in the wake of the brutal massacres that took place in the Syrian coastal region (from March 6-9, 2025), with the inability of the Syrian Interim Authorities to ensure security and effective protection for vulnerable groups in Syria.
The violations documented in the report ranged from extrajudicial killings, abduction, torture, looting and vandalism, sectarian violence, and gender-based violence, particularly targeting women and girls.
During the period covered by the report, the organization documented a number of grave violations, including 64 killings, among them 9 children and 9 women, in addition to 4 cases in which the victims survived, one of them was a girl. Five cases of abduction, including two women, were also recorded, as well as 10 cases of physical or psychological torture, beatings, or inhumane treatment, including one child. It should be noted that these figures do not represent the total number of victims, but only the cases documented within the scope of this report.
The testimonies collected by Syrians for Truth and Justice and field investigations supported by open sources reveal that these crimes were not isolated incidents. Rather, they appear to have been carried out as part of a policy targeting specific communities on sectarian and gender grounds, amid a lack of protection, official denial, and failure to investigate.
Although a national commission was formed to investigate the massacres in the coastal region, its mandate was limited to a few days and specific areas, precluding subsequent violations. Its report also avoided holding military or security leaders accountable, denied the sectarian nature of the incidents, and refrained from making its full findings public. This reflects a fundamental and serious shortcoming in the approach to accountability and reinforces a climate of impunity. Thus, there are real fears that victims’ rights will be lost if these violations are not investigated by independent and credible international bodies.
The report does not claim to cover all violations, but rather to provide documented examples and patterns that represent part of a broader cycle of violence and violations. These include extrajudicial killings, abduction, torture, gender-based violations, looting, and vandalism. The report focuses on the responsibility of official bodies and armed factions affiliated with or supported by them.
At the conclusion of this report, Syrians for Truth and Justice provide a set of recommendations to the Syrian Interim Authorities, the international community, and UN mechanisms.
2. Introduction and Background:
Following the sectarian massacres that took place in the Syrian coastal region and in the governorates of Homs and Hama between March 6 and 9, 2025, the Syrian authorities quickly formed the “Independent National Commission for Investigation and Fact-Finding on the Events in the Syrian Coastal Region,” by decision of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on March 9. The commission was tasked with investigating the events that occurred on March 6, within a thirty-day period, later extended until mid-July 2025.
On July 22, the commission presented its findings at a press conference in Damascus, emphasizing its commitment to “legal and professional standards.” It confirmed documenting the killing of 1,426 people, including 90 women, and the disappearance of 20 persons, in addition to widespread violations during military operations. However, it considered these violations to be “unsystematic” and driven by various motives, such as revenge and chaos. It also refrained from publishing its full report to the public, avoiding mentioning the sectarian nature of the events or holding military leaders directly responsible.
Despite the formation of the commission, grave violations against Alawite civilians continued, amid the authorities’ evident inability to control the crimes and a deterioration in public confidence in state actions. This was also confirmed by the International Commission of Inquiry in its report published on August 14, 2025.
In this context, Syrians for Truth and Justice prepared this documentary report, which monitors the violations committed between March 10 and the end of June 2025. It is based on 19 in-depth interviews with victims, their families, and eyewitnesses, in addition to an analysis of open-sources material, including videos, photos, and documented posts.
While obtaining their informed consent, all interviewees were made aware of the voluntary nature of the interview and the ways in which the information they shared would be used, including the publication of this report. They chose to conceal their identities or any information that might identify them, fearing any reprisals against them or their families. Accordingly, pseudonyms have been used to identify individuals whose testimonies are partly quoted in the report.
The report seeks to shed light on violations that continued after the end of the investigation commission’s work, which were not covered by state reports or procedures, despite their seriousness and scale. Testimonies and open sources collected by Syrians for Truth and Justice show that the targeting was not random, but rather affected members of the Alawite community in the governorates of Homs, Hama, Latakia, Tartous, and Damascus Rural,[1] within a broader context of sectarian violence and amidst the absence of protection or accountability
Read the Full Report (27 Pages) in PDF Format here.
[1] In its report, “Syria: Documentation of Enforced Disappearances and Arbitrary Arrests in Al-Qadam Neighborhood of Damascus,” Syrians for Truth and Justice documented several violations committed in Damascus Rural against Alawite civilians residing in Al-Anazi, Al-Qadam neighborhood. The report highlights two campaigns carried out in December 2024 and March 7, 2025, resulting in the disappearance of dozens, with reports of a number of them being extrajudicially executed.