Press Release: The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression Submits Its Report on Coastal Region and Hama Crimes to the Government Investigation Committee

July 2025 — The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) has today released the English version of a comprehensive report documenting grave human rights violations and crimes committed in Syria’s Coastal Region and Hama during March 2025.

The report reveals systematic patterns of sectarian violence that began with an organized attack by armed groups affiliated with the former Syrian regime. These violations include extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, torture, destruction of civilian property, and forced displacement.

These crimes mark a painful chapter in Syria’s history of social fragmentation, sectarian division, and entrenched systematic violence rooted in decades of authoritarian rule that institutionalised sectarian and utilitarian loyalties and militarised society. Following the fall of the regime and the start of the transitional period, the political and security landscape in the coastal region was reshaped without meaningful participation from local communities. This coincided with a widespread campaign of dismissals affecting tens of thousands of public sector employees.

In the absence of transparent justice and accountability mechanisms, this vacuum fueled heightened tensions, escalated sectarian rhetoric, and triggered waves of retaliatory violence. The Transitional Government failed to exercise effective control over local and allied forces, leading to serious violations driven by political and sectarian motives.

The report documents the extrajudicial execution of 1,060 civilian victims across the governorates of Lattakia, Tartous, and Hama. It further notes that military operations were accompanied by arbitrary detention, torture, and inhumane and degrading treatment, including public humiliation, beatings, sectarian insults, and psychological and physical intimidation. Women and children were particularly targeted, facing threats of death and being terrorized with weapons pointed at their heads.

Several witnesses reported that victims were often asked about their sect before being killed, indicating the sectarian nature of the abuses.

The report names several armed factions suspected of involvement, including Suleiman Shah Brigade (Al-Amshat), Hamza Division, Army of Islam, Sultan Murad Division, and battalions formerly affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (Battalion 400), in addition to groups from neighboring villages and foreign fighters. It also highlights the failure of the governmental response and the harassment of journalists attempting to report on these events.

Commenting on the findings, Mazen Darwish, General Director of SCM, said:
“Acknowledging the truth is not a weakness; it is the highest form of moral strength. Only by recognizing what has happened can we transform anger into a new social contract. This is not a sectarian conflict — it is a battle between truth and denial. And in that battle, acknowledgment is everyone’s true victory.”

The report does not claim to offer a complete account of the events but aims to contribute to uncovering the truth and supporting the work of the governmental investigation committee. We hope that this work marks a genuine step towards accountability, justice, and reparation for all victims.

“What is required today is concerted effort between the government and civil society to build a future founded on truth, accountability, and justice — a future where impunity has no place,” said Mohannad Sharabati, Director of the Violations Documentation Project at SCM.
The full report is available for download on SCM’s website.