Yasser al-Farhan, spokesperson for the National Independent Committee investigating the “coastal events” (violence in Latakia and Tartus, western Syria), announced that 298 suspects accused of assaults on civilians and 265 accused of assaults on public security personnel have been referred to the judiciary.
Speaking to Al-Quds al-Arabi, al-Farhan explained that the names have not been disclosed in order to “protect their rights, prevent them from evading justice, and avoid retaliatory acts that could ignite communal strife in geographically interwoven societies.”
He added that full lists of names, backgrounds, and related information had been handed to the judicial authorities, while the committee adhered to the principle of “do no harm.” He expressed confidence that the Attorney General and judicial departments at the Ministry of Justice are proceeding with arrests and investigations after reviewing the files.
In March, clashes left hundreds of people dead in towns across Latakia and Tartus provinces (western Syria), most of them civilians and Syrian public security personnel.
The events began with attacks by fighters linked to remnants of the former Assad regime, amid government acknowledgment that army personnel committed violations. This prompted the formation of the investigative committee.
According to al-Farhan, widespread rumors at the time about Maher al-Assad’s presence at the Hmeimim base fueled popular fears of a regime comeback. He said this triggered outrage among millions of Syrians who had endured crimes against humanity under the former regime.
On September 23, three leading rights groups, Human Rights Watch, Syrians for Truth and Justice, and the Syrian Archive, issued a joint report on the coastal events.
The organizations stated that, despite the transitional government’s declared “commitment to accountability and pledge to investigate,” transparency regarding the role of senior military and civilian leaders was “extremely limited,” with measures focusing on individual perpetrators while ignoring institutional or command responsibility.
Al-Farhan criticized the timing of the report, coinciding with UN General Assembly meetings. While expressing respect for Human Rights Watch’s history, he voiced regret that its team was influenced by its partner organization, which, he claimed, suffers from “weak professionalism and impartiality.”
He argued that assigning blame to top leadership “arbitrarily and without evidence” is legally unsound. He stressed that accusing leaders of issuing orders without proof “distorts the truth,” especially since events unfolded under complex circumstances, with leadership lacking full control and various armed groups acting independently with differing motives.
What were the coastal events?
The coastal events broke out on March 6 when elements of the former regime’s army targeted public security personnel in rural Latakia (western Syria).
Within hours, what government circles termed “remnants” seized areas of Latakia and Tartus, killing members of the security services.
In response, the defense and interior ministries deployed reinforcements, supported by irregular pro-government factions and armed local civilians. The operations resulted in large-scale abuses against civilians, many of whom were killed along sectarian lines.
By dawn on March 7, government forces had regained control. However, extrajudicial killings and unrest continued into March 8.
Following the coastal events, transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa ordered the establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate the causes of the violence and the violations committed against civilians and public security personnel.
The post Fact-finding committee refers 563 suspects in Syrian coastal events to judiciary appeared first on Enab Baladi.
from Enab Baladi https://ift.tt/JxnQ4mG
via IFTTT