1. Executive Summary
This in-depth investigation documents recurring patterns of gross human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture and degrading treatment, looting of property, sectarian discrimination, and hate speech, in the towns of Sahnaya, Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, and Jaramana (Rural Damascus), as well as the village of al-Sawara al-Kubra in northern al-Suwayda, during April and May 2025. These violations occurred in the context of armed clashes between local factions (Druze fighters) on one side, and Public Security forces along with their allied armed groups on the other, following the circulation of an anonymous audio recording containing insults to Islam. The recording was initially attributed to Druze Sheikh Marwan Kiwan, but it was later confirmed that he was not the source.
The investigation focuses on documenting the assaults that took place in April and May 2025, while Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) is preparing subsequent, more comprehensive reports covering developments in July and August 2025. The findings are based on 16 interviews with victims, their relatives, and eyewitnesses —some of whom were displaced out of fear of being killed or arrested— while the remaining families continue to live in a constant state of fear and insecurity.
According to witness testimonies and local sources, at least 119 people were killed,[1] with STJ able to verify the identities of 99 of them. The investigation also documented cases of enforced disappearance, the authorities’ refusal to disclose the fate of detainees, sectarian humiliation practices, and the looting of private property, all amid a complete lack of accountability and equal enforcement of the rule of law.
The documented evidence reveals an environment marked by a security vacuum and a blatant lack of neutrality on the part of “state institutions,” which allowed the emergence of opposing armed factions along sectarian lines, further undermining public trust in the authorities and exacerbating the fragility of the security situation. The gravity and recurrence of violations perpetrated by military entities linked to the transitional authorities in Damascus strongly suggest that they may have been committed as part of a broader policy targeting the Druze, potentially amounting to war crimes and/or crimes against humanity.
2. Methodology
Between 18 May and 30 June 2025, Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ) conducted extensive field and desk research, including in-depth interviews with 16 individuals—victims, their relatives, and eyewitnesses. Seven of them resided in the areas affected by the assaults during the events, while the rest had been forcibly displaced, either remaining in other parts of al-Suwayda or leaving Syria altogether (Lebanon, EU countries).
The interviews were conducted online through secure communication applications. After providing informed consent, all interviewees were briefed on the voluntary nature of participation and the potential uses of the information they shared, including its inclusion in this report. All requested to remain anonymous, and pseudonyms were therefore used to identify individuals whose testimonies are quoted. In addition to these testimonies, the investigation drew on open-source reports issued by human rights organizations and local, regional, and international media. Dozens of verified videos, photographs, and social media posts were also reviewed and incorporated into the findings of this report.
[1] According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, in a report published on 3 May 2025, the final death toll from the clashes in the three districts of Rural Damascus reached 119 people: 14 Druze men executed summarily, under unknown circumstances; 105 individuals from the Ministry of Defense and Interior forces, Druze fighters, and civilians killed during clashes and ambushes.
To read the full report (34) in PDF format, please click here.