The spokesperson for the Fact-Finding Committee on the Syrian coast events, Yasser al-Farhan, announced the key findings of its report, which was submitted a few days ago to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, regarding the events that took place in the coastal region last March.
During a press conference held today, Tuesday, July 22, and attended by Enab Baladi, al-Farhan stated that the committee identified individuals accused of committing violations during the coastal events. These include 265 individuals affiliated with armed outlaw rebel groups connected to the “remnants of Assad,” and 298 others, comprising individuals and groups linked to military factions among the participating forces, who violated military orders and are suspected of committing abuses against civilians.
According to al-Farhan, the committee’s findings are based on suspicion rather than definitive court-level evidence. To avoid harm, the committee did not disclose the names of the suspects but organized them into annexed tables, and it withheld the names of some witnesses who feared being identified.
Key Findings
The committee’s report on violations in the coastal region documented several details regarding the number of victims, the nature of the violations, and the suspected perpetrators. Below is a summary:
On March 6, the remnants launched a wide-scale hostile campaign using heavy, medium, and light weapons targeting army and general security headquarters, checkpoints, and patrols. They blocked major roads and, according to the committee’s findings, killed 238 members from the security and army forces in the Latakia, Tartus, and Hama provinces.
Some individuals were killed after surrendering their weapons through negotiations brokered by local dignitaries; others were executed while injured and receiving treatment, or while in captivity. Remnants of the Assad regime buried several victims in a mass grave, targeted public roads and hospitals—rendering six medical facilities inoperative—and killed a number of Sunni civilians. While the committee received this information, it was unable to verify the victims’ identities according to its documentation standards.
Based on witness testimonies from victims’ families, local residents, government employees, interrogation reports of detainees, and digital and circumstantial evidence, the committee identified 265 potential suspects affiliated with the so-called “remnants of Assad”—outlawed armed groups allegedly linked to the Assad regime—with reasonable grounds to suspect involvement in serious crimes and violations.
During and after these events, remnants of the Assad regime partially or fully seized control of cities, towns, villages, and key roads, laying siege to remaining government positions. Their objective, according to the committee’s investigation, was to sever the coast from the rest of Syria and establish an Alawite state—an effort allegedly planned, funded, and executed by interconnected and hierarchically structured groups.
In response, government forces, factions, and other military units mobilized, joined by spontaneously organized “popular support” groups. The international highway became congested with over 200,000 armed fighters heading toward areas under remnant control.
At dawn on Friday, March 7, remnants of the Assad regime opened fire from elevated villages overlooking the road, targeting military convoys, civilian vehicles, and columns of popular support. The attack resulted in the deaths of several soldiers and civilians, further escalating the chaos. In response, government forces formed a special unit to secure the road and restore order.
On Friday morning, armed groups entered neighborhoods and homes in several towns and villages. Residents were subjected to successive raids—some orderly, others random and unrestrained. While the committee observed general satisfaction with the behavior of public security forces, it verified wide-scale serious violations committed against civilians on March 7-8-9.
The committee confirmed 1,426 deaths, including 90 women, most of whom were civilians. Some of the victims were former military personnel who had reconciled with the authorities. While the presence of Assad regime remnants among the dead cannot be ruled out, the committee believes that most of the killings occurred either outside combat zones or after the conclusion of military operations.
From open sources, the committee found additional casualty reports it could not verify due to the absence of names in burial records or witness statements. It also received information about 20 missing persons, both civilians and government soldiers.
The violations stemmed from a variety of motives. Some of the suspected perpetrators were members of armed factions; others had no formal affiliation and acted independently, either volunteering with factions or forming small groups out of fear for their families and homeland should the Assad regime return. Some sought to rescue their sons serving in government forces who were besieged by Assad regime remnants. Others were driven by revenge against those they believed had taken part in the killing, torture, or rape of their loved ones. Certain individuals formed criminal gangs with the intent to kill, loot, or steal. Some impersonated government personnel to obtain illicit gains or to cause harm. Others belonged to Roma communities in the region, many of whom had previously cooperated with regime militias (known as shabiha).
Verification Mechanisms
The committee focused its investigations on identifying perpetrators through various means, including interviews with families and over hundreds of testimonies from victims’ relatives. With the Ministry of Defense’s cooperation in identifying individuals in selected photos and videos, the committee discovered 298 named suspects, though the number remains preliminary.
Through digital evidence analysis and substantial support from the Ministry of Defense, the committee identified individuals and groups linked to military factions among the participating forces. The committee believes they violated military orders and likely committed violations against civilians.
The violations ranged from multiple homicides, premeditated murder, armed robbery, destruction and arson of homes and shops, use of sectarian slurs, and disobeying military orders—offenses covered under Syria’s general penal code.
How did the committee act?
The committee based its work on general monitoring, investigation, and inquiry into abuses committed within its geographic jurisdiction (Latakia, Tartus, and Hama provinces), temporal mandate (March events and their aftermath), and topical scope (conditions leading to the events and the violations against civilians, state institutions, security, and military personnel). It aims to identify those responsible and refer them to the judiciary.
It followed legal procedures defined in its mandate, upholding principles of independence, neutrality, professionalism, consistency, transparency, non-harm, confidentiality, and offering protection mechanisms for witnesses requesting anonymity—all in line with the government’s future integrity procedures.
Committee spokesperson Yasser al-Farhan said the committee visited 33 locations, examined incident sites, mass graves, and burial areas, documenting its findings in the presence of local mayors, clerics, and family representatives.
On the ground, the committee held several meetings with local figures, conducted 938 interviews, including 452 related to killings and 486 to looting, arson, theft, or torture.
The committee employed seven female legal assistants from the affected Alawite community, in addition to three women from victims’ families, who participated in hearings in al-Rusafa.
It also heard 23 briefings from government officials, interrogated detained suspects, and took steps to refer them to the judiciary.
Committee Chair Jumaa al-Anzi stated the committee completed its report on schedule and submitted it to the President of the Republic, but the announcement was delayed due to ongoing events in southern Syria.
Syrian Coastal Fact-Finding Committee Presents Its Findings Enab Baladi.
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