Amnesty urges Syrian President to release findings on coastal massacres
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Amnesty International demanded on Wednesday Syrian Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa to publicly release the findings of the fact-finding committee investigating the mass killings that took place along the Syrian coast in early March.
Amnesty International said, “Al-Sharaa must commit to publishing the full findings of the fact-finding committee’s investigation into the mass killings targeting Alawite civilians in coastal areas.”
The mass killing, which occurred on March 8, were attributed by the European Union to remnants of the al-Assad regime. A Reuters investigation later reported that approximately 1,500 people were killed in 40 locations, in what appeared to be sectarian-based attacks.
The organization emphasized that both the victims and the broader public have a right to know the methodology used in the investigation and the conclusions it reached.
“Survivors and the families of victims have the right to know what happened, who was responsible, and what concrete steps the authorities will take to deliver justice. Only independent and impartial investigations can lead to credible and fair trials. The President must also ensure that effective reparations are provided to survivors and affected families.”
In April, Amnesty had already appealed to Syrian authorities to investigate the killings of hundreds of civilians in the coastal area, classifying the acts as potential war crimes.
Al-Sharaa had previously pledged to hold the perpetrators accountable “with all fairness and without leniency.” Amnesty stated that “Now is the moment to fulfil that promise and demonstrate to the Syrian people that the authorities are committed to preventing communities from being targeted on the basis of religion or political affiliation and to bring to court those who commit targeted killings.”