Legal Statement Issued by Rights Monitor – Human Rights Monitor Platform in Syria on the First Anniversary of the Syrian Coast Massacres and the Demand for Justice
On the first anniversary of the bloody events that took place on the Syrian coast on 7 March 2025, Rights Monitor – the Human Rights Monitor Platform in Syria – recalls with profound sorrow and grief the civilian victims who lost their lives during the military and security operations that followed the clashes between security forces affiliated with the interim authority in Syria and armed groups loyal to the deposed president Bashar al-Assad.
Following armed attacks carried out by groups linked to the former regime on 6 March 2025 against security and military positions on the Syrian coast, the security forces of the interim authority conducted large-scale sweeping operations in the region on the following day, 7 March 2025. These operations were accompanied by grave violations that, according to multiple reports, resulted in the killing of more than 1,500 civilians from the Alawite community. These violations also included extrajudicial killings, torture, and degrading treatment of civilians and of the bodies of the victims, in addition to widespread looting and the burning of homes in a number of villages and towns.
These events also led to the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians from their areas amid an atmosphere of fear and chaos. Some of these violations were documented through video footage circulated on social media, showing shocking scenes of abuses and violations committed against civilians.
In August 2025, a report issued by the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria concluded that the wave of violence that swept the Syrian coast and the west-central parts of the country since January of the same year may amount to war crimes. The report indicated that the violations included killing, torture, and inhuman acts related to the treatment of the dead, as well as widespread looting and the destruction of civilian property.
The Commission also documented that some of the violations were committed by members of the interim government forces and by armed factions that had recently been integrated into its security apparatus, in addition to civilian individuals who participated in acts of violence, as well as fighters loyal to the former government, commonly referred to as the “remnants” (al-fulul). These violations included extrajudicial executions, torture, and mistreatment of civilians in villages and neighborhoods with an Alawite majority, in a pattern described by the Commission as widespread and, in certain cases, systematic.
At the same time, the report indicated that interim government forces attempted in some instances to halt violations and to evacuate and protect civilians; however, these efforts were insufficient to prevent the serious violations documented by multiple human rights organizations.
Rights Monitor Syria affirms the following:
Strong condemnation of all massacres and violations committed against civilians on the Syrian coast, regardless of the perpetrators.
The necessity of conducting independent and transparent international investigations to uncover the full truth regarding these events.
Holding all those responsible for crimes and violations accountable in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law, without exception and without impunity.
Ensuring justice for the victims and their families through mechanisms of justice, accountability, and reparations.
Protecting all religious and sectarian components in Syria and rejecting the targeting of civilians on the basis of sectarian, ethnic, or political affiliation.
Calling on the international community and the United Nations to intensify efforts to protect civilians in Syria and prevent the recurrence of such crimes.
Commemorating these massacres must serve as an occasion to renew commitment to justice, to reject impunity, and to work toward a Syria governed by the rule of law, equality, and respect for human rights for all its citizens without discrimination.
Justice for the victims… and dignity for all Syrians.
Rights Monitor Human Rights Monitor Platform in Syria 7 March 2026
