Syria Issues First Verdicts in Trial Over Coastal Violence Targeting Alawites

Syria Issues First Verdicts in Trial Over Coastal Violence Targeting Alawites
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A Syrian court has issued its first verdicts in a case related to mass killings in the country’s coastal areas in 2025, sentencing a former government forces member to 20 years in prison, while two supporters of the former government received a death sentence and life imprisonment.

The trial, which began in November 2025 in Aleppo, involves 14 defendants accused of involvement in the violence — seven former government forces members and seven supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad. The latest ruling covered four defendants, with additional verdicts expected in the coming days.

The court found the former government forces member guilty of intentional killing, while one of the defendants linked to the former government was sentenced to death and another to life imprisonment. A third defendant was acquitted.

The violence on Syria’s coast in 2025 resulted in more than 1,400 deaths, mostly among civilians, according to a national fact-finding committee cited by international media reports. The unrest followed clashes involving forces loyal to the former government and subsequent sectarian violence in coastal areas.

The proceedings are part of broader efforts by Syria’s authorities to address crimes committed during the country’s long conflict, although rights organizations have continued to call for fair trials and due process protections in accountability cases.