UN: Hundreds of Syrians Killed Since the Fall of the Former Regime

The United Nations said that the steps taken by the Syrian Interim Government to address past violations represent “the beginning of a long path toward justice and stability,” noting that hundreds of Syrians have been killed since the fall of the former regime about a year ago.

A report released on Friday stated that Syria is preparing to mark the first anniversary of the regime’s fall, at a time when violations continue despite the government’s establishment of national bodies for transitional justice and for the missing, in addition to investigative committees into acts of violence in the coastal region and Sweida.

Thameen al-Khitan, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the organization continues to receive “horrific accounts” of summary executions, arbitrary killings, and kidnappings targeting groups and individuals suspected of affiliation with the former regime. He noted that hundreds of people were killed with firearms, knives, and stones, in addition to victims of shelling and hand grenades.

According to the report, these violations were attributed to various actors, including “security forces affiliated with the interim authorities and groups loyal to them, individuals linked to the previous government, local armed groups, and unidentified perpetrators,” as well as deaths caused by explosive remnants of war.

The United Nations also documented violations including sexual violence, arbitrary detention, looting, home demolitions, forced evictions, and property confiscation, in addition to restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The report indicated that these violations primarily targeted Alawites, Druze, Christians, and Bedouins, amid what the organization described as a “rise in hate speech” online and in public spaces.

Regarding the process of integrating former armed groups into the new security forces, al-Khitan said the process “was conducted hastily and without human rights–based vetting,” stressing that security sector reform is “essential to prevent the integration of individuals responsible for serious violations of international law.”

The United Nations emphasized the importance of investigating all past and current violations independently and transparently and holding those responsible accountable. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged Syrian authorities to address the root causes of these violations, affirming that “accountability, justice, peace, and security for all Syrians are essential conditions for the success of the transitional process and for guaranteeing victims’ rights to remedy and compensation.”

The report also noted that Israeli military operations continued over the past year, including incursions and the occupation of new areas, which resulted in civilian casualties, among them those killed in an operation near Damascus, in addition to arrests and wide-scale house searches.