This report is part of the ongoing work of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) in support of transitional justice processes in Syria. In particular, the SCM aims to contribute to the National Commission for Transitional Justice and the National Commission for the Missing, uncovering the truth, redressing harm done to victims, and building comprehensive documentation that captures the violations and crimes suffered by communities across Syria. It also seeks to amplify the voices and rights of victims without discrimination, ensuring that the transitional justice processes are inclusive, and that the truth-seeking, accountability, and redress reflect the experiences of all those affected by the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report documents the Shaitat massacre, which took place in the eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside in August 2014 and became known as one of the most extensive mass crimes committed by the Islamic State (ISIS) against civilians in Syria, and among the most notable for its systematic retaliatory character, targeting a specific local population on the basis of its social and tribal identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The massacre is emblematic of the patterns of violence ISIS imposed across the territories it controlled. That violence went far beyond military confrontations, encompassing mass summary executions, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and large-scale forced displacement, alongside torture, cruel treatment, and violations directed at the most vulnerable. These crimes have left deep humanitarian, social, and legal wounds that persist to this day, bearing on victims and their families alike, as well as on the social and economic fabric of the eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report does not restrict itself to a factual account of events. It also analyzes the patterns of violations committed, their classification under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and, where the evidence permits, the levels of criminal responsibility at both the individual and command levels. It further profiles the principal figures suspected of perpetrating these violations, and highlights the disproportionate impact of the massacre on women, children, and other vulnerable groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This investigation report was prepared with the support of the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR)<\/p>\n\n\n\n