Syria sentences two to death over coastal sectarian violence

A Syrian military tribunal has sentenced two individuals to death for their roles in recent sectarian strife along the country's coastline in March 2025. Al Waddah Ismail and Maher Ali were convicted of attempting to spark civil war and sectarian conflict, and leading armed gangs with the intention of assaulting public forces. Both received the ultimate penalty.

Maher Othman was given a 12-year sentence for aiding in these crimes, while Mohammed Bakour was handed a 20-year term for intentional murder. Ammar Abdul Aal was sentenced to three years for torture. Abdul Raouf Bakrjan and Mohammed Zarzouri were acquitted. Public trials commenced on November 18, 2025, at the Palace of Justice in Aleppo.

The verdicts come after rulings on September 17 in cases involving four other defendants accused of offenses during the violence, during which pro-government fighters killed hundreds of Alawite minority members. One received a death sentence, another life imprisonment, and a third 20 years, while the fourth was released. The unrest followed attacks on army and security installations on March 6, 2025.

A national investigative panel reported in July 2024 that remnants of the former Assad regime had carried out extensive assaults, killing 238 military and security personnel. The panel also documented civilian violations in the aftermath of the attacks, concluding these were committed by individuals and small groups for diverse reasons, not organized or systematic.

Meanwhile, Syria's General Intelligence Service apprehended Ali Kayali, also known as Mihrac Ural, a significant suspect in the 2013 Baniyas massacre, as he tried to flee the country. Kayali led an armed militia that fought alongside former Assad regime forces during the Syrian civil war, implicated in mass killings in various areas, including Al Bayda and Ras Al Nabaa in Baniyas.

Human rights reports detail summary executions, arson, and killings in Latakia, Aleppo, Idlib, and Turkey's Hatay province, where Kayali is the main suspect for twin bombings that killed 52 people. Turkish intelligence recently arrested Omar Al Khatib, one of the alleged planners, as he attempted to flee to Europe. The Syrian government continues to investigate violations against civilians during the Assad era as part of its pursuit of transitional justice and accountability.