Sharjah24: The Syrian government said on Friday that it is closely reviewing a new Amnesty International report calling for investigations into last month’s sectarian massacres targeting the Alawite community. Amnesty warned the attacks may constitute war crimes and urged Syrian authorities to ensure accountability.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 1,700 civilians, mostly Alawites, were killed during the violence. The unrest followed the December overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad, led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), with interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa now in power. Sharaa has pledged to prosecute those responsible for the killings.
In an official statement, the government said it had been following the Amnesty report and its preliminary findings. It confirmed that the Independent National Commission for Investigation and Fact-Finding would evaluate the report, in line with its mandate and powers granted by presidential decree.
However, the government criticised the report for omitting what it described as the broader context of the events. It blamed the outbreak of violence on a “premeditated assault” by armed Assad loyalists targeting the new army and internal security forces. It acknowledged that the chaos led to “acts of retaliation and serious violations,” which it said would be thoroughly investigated.
The authorities have promised to release a full report on the incident within a month, reaffirming their commitment to justice and accountability amid ongoing tensions in the post-Assad transition.
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