Syria issues first verdicts over Alawite minority killings: One death, one life, and one 20 years’ jail

Syria's judiciary delivered its first judgments on Thursday regarding the killing of numerous Alawite minority members on the Syrian coast last year. A former government forces member was given a 20-year prison sentence for murder, while two supporters of the ousted government received death sentences and life in prison. Fourteen individuals were accused of involvement in the massacres, with a trial commencing in November.

The defendants included seven government forces personnel and seven Assad supporters. Additional verdicts are anticipated next week.

Several Assad supporters entered a not guilty plea during the trial's opening, with one claiming to be in Lebanon during the violence. The death penalty was handed down for "assault aimed at provoking civil war and sectarian clashes." Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, criticized the trial, stating that "one of the largest mass massacres Syria has experienced during the transition period is being reduced to just a few cases." He added that "putting a few people on trial does not constitute real justice" to AFP.

The 2015 massacres, according to authorities, erupted after assaults by Assad supporters on their forces, resulting in at least 1,426 deaths, as reported by a national commission of inquiry. The Observatory claimed that over 1,700 individuals were killed, while the commission verified serious violations leading to the deaths of mostly civilians, identifying 298 suspects.

It estimated 238 members of security forces and the army were killed in attacks attributed to Assad's supporters. Islamist authorities subsequently deployed reinforcements to the region, with the commission suggesting the number of fighters at 200,000. Syrian and international monitoring groups documented sectarian massacres, in which entire families were killed by government forces, aligned armed groups, and volunteers, including summary executions.

President Bashar al-Assad, an Alawite, was ousted by an Islamist-led offensive in December 2024. Despite assurances from the new authorities, Syria's religious minorities have since expressed safety concerns.