Syrian court hands down death sentence and jail terms for coastal sectarian violence

A Syrian military court has handed down sentences for sectarian violence along the country's coast in March 2025. One defendant was sentenced to death, while another received a 25-year prison term and a third was given 20 years. A fourth defendant was acquitted. This marks the first verdicts in a trial that began in November, following the deadly attacks.

The violence erupted after pro-government fighters killed hundreds of members of the Alawite minority. The attacks came after forces loyal to former President Bashar Al Assad targeted army and security headquarters on March 6, 2025. The Syrian National Commission for Investigation and Fact-Finding reported that the March 6 attacks resulted in the deaths of 238 personnel.

The commission also documented abuses against civilians during the subsequent days. They concluded that the abuses were committed by individuals and small groups, rather than as part of a systematic pattern. This violence was one of the worst outbreaks of bloodshed since President Ahmad Al Shara's forces overthrew the Assad regime in December 2024.

A Syrian fact-finding committee later reported that the violence claimed 1,426 lives, including in attacks on security forces and mass killings of Alawites. UN investigators stated in August 2025 that war crimes were probably committed by interim government forces and fighters loyal to Syria's former rulers.