Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM)

Paris, 30 March 2026

The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) welcomes the latest report issued by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (CoI), concerning the grave violations that took place in As-Suwayda Governorate in July 2025. SCM commends the CoI’s significant efforts in documenting and investigating these violations, as well as its continued cooperation with civil society organizations and victims, which contributes to uncovering the truth and enhancing prospects for accountability.

The report provides a clear indication of the continued fragility of the situation in Syria, where serious human rights violations and international crimes persist in the absence of accountability and amid entrenched impunity. The facts documented by the CoI confirm that what occurred in As-Suwayda is a recurring pattern of violence, parts of which may amount to war crimes, within a context marked by the ongoing involvement of actors affiliated with the transitional government, including the Internal Security Forces (a.k.a the General Security) and the Syrian Arab Army.

While the CoI, according to the report, did not find information indicating the attack was part of an initial government plan, it noted that the data it documented, including the immediacy of the onset of severe violence against the civilian population between 14 and 16 July, the involvement of irregular tribal fighters, and the failure to take effective measures to prevent imminently foreseeable violence, may reflect “an organizational policy across at least a subset of commanders aimed at facilitating an imminently foreseeable attack against the civilian population”. Accordingly, the CoI concluded that it is reasonable to conclude that government forces and tribal fighters operating alongside them engaged during that period in extrajudicial killings, torture, and ill-treatment, primarily targeting civilian populations in the predominantly or mixed Druze western villages and in neighborhoods of As-Suwayda city. These acts happened within an organizational policy at the level of certain leadership structures that enabled their occurrence.

SCM considers this a serious indication of the continued failure of the transitional government to protect civilians, whether through the direct involvement of individuals affiliated with it in violations, the lack of effective intervention to halt abuses during operations, or by allowing the participation of tribal fighters without preventing their involvement, thereby contributing to the escalation and expansion of violence. This reveals a structural deficiency in decision-making systems and field command and control, and reflects the absence of effective oversight and accountability mechanisms capable of ensuring civilian protection. 

At the same time, local armed groups in As-Suwayda also committed grave violations, according to the report, reflecting the multiplicity of actors involved in the violence and its expanding scope.

In this context, SCM believes that the continued absence of effective accountability for violations since the fall of the regime, including those related to the coastal region and Hama in March 2025, and the failure of the transitional government to take serious measures, including suspending and holding accountable those involved, as well as adopting effective steps to combat hate speech and criminalize incitement, have significantly contributed to the recurrence of such patterns of violence. It emphasizes that the continuation of this approach only perpetuates cycles of violence, generates further violations, and undermines any possibility of deterrence.

In light of the ongoing grave human rights violations across many parts of Syria, SCM reiterates the pivotal role played by the CoI through its impartial and objective investigations, underscoring the necessity of continuing its work and extending its mandate, as it remains a key mechanism for documenting violations and identifying those potential responsible, particularly in the absence of effective and national accountability pathways trusted by society  to date.

Finally, SCM considers that the findings documented in the report constitute a real test of the authorities’ seriousness in pursuing justice and accountability during the transitional phase, and that failure to take concrete steps will lead to the continuation of the cycle of violence and undermine prospects for achieving sustainable peace in Syria.

Accordingly, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) calls on the Syrian transitional government to:

• Fully implement the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria (CoI) without delay and with full transparency, as a fundamental step toward ending impunity and preventing the recurrence of violations.
• Suspend all individuals suspected of involvement in grave violations, including those holding leadership positions in Public Security and the Ministry of Defense, pending the completion of independent, comprehensive, and transparent criminal investigations, and to bring those found responsible before public trials that meet fair trial standards.
• Expedite the launch of a comprehensive and transparent transitional justice process that ensures truth-seeking, accountability, reparations, and guarantees of non-repetition, as well as the prompt development of a national transitional justice strategy by the National Commission for Transitional Justice with the participation of all stakeholders, including civil society and victims.
• Undertake genuine and transparent structural reforms in the security and military sectors, including:
  • Mandatory and regular training on international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and relevant national legislation;
  • Ensuring clear identification of all security and military personnel;
  • Prohibiting the formation or operation of any armed groups outside the legitimate authority of the state.
• Establish a formal and transparent mechanism for coordination, reporting, and follow-up between the Ministry of Interior and Syrian human rights organizations, ensuring systematic documentation of violations, strengthening responses, supporting accountability processes, and protecting victims.

In conclusion, SCM reaffirms its commitment to continue documenting violations committed by all parties in Syria and to maintain its cooperation with the CoI and other relevant national and international mechanisms in support of truth, justice, and redress for victims. SCM has contributed to supporting documentation efforts regarding the events in As-Suwayda by providing the CoI with verified materials, including more than 300 video recordings authenticated by its team, as well as additional digital materials related to hate speech and incitement. It also submitted victim lists from As-Suwayda, including approximately 1,400 Druze victims, 70 Bedouin and tribal victims, and 250 members of the security forces and the Syrian Arab Army affiliated with the transitional government, in addition to a list of missing persons comprising approximately 600 individuals, as well as lists of victims and missing persons related to the events in Jaramana and Sahnaya last year.