A new report released by the Kurdish Committee for Human Rights — Rasad has documented widespread and systematic human rights violations in Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartous between March 6 and April 10, 2025. The events, described by international organizations as potentially amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, involved military and security campaigns led by pro-government forces against several towns and villages.
According to the report, the escalation began following the killing of state security officers in Beit Aana, near Jableh. In the days that followed, a retaliatory military crackdown unfolded, targeting areas including Ras al-Basit, al-Bahloulieh, al-Haffa, Basout, and Ain al-Teenah. By the end of March, at least 760 civilians had been killed, and more than 123,000 displaced from their homes.
Documented violations included extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and forced displacement, alongside the destruction of civilian homes and public infrastructure. The report also noted the alarming rise of sectarian hate speech by members of the security forces and affiliated militias, some of it captured in disturbing video footage.
Organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have called for an independent international investigation, expressing serious doubts about the credibility of the Syrian government’s own investigative committee. The committee, comprised entirely of members with ties to the ruling authorities, has so far failed to release any findings and has been accused of lacking neutrality and transparency.
Casualty figures vary across sources. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a death toll of 1,676, including 866 in Latakia, 525 in Tartous, and 272 in Hama. The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression confirmed 1,169 civilian deaths by name, including 103 women and 52 children.
The report highlighted multiple documented incidents of field executions, mass arrests without warrants, the disappearance of entire families, and the use of torture—including beatings and electric shocks. At least 140 cases of enforced disappearance were verified during the reporting period. In one documented video, a survivor recounts being held in an informal detention site and tortured while being threatened with the disappearance of his mother.
The campaign also involved scorched-earth tactics, including the destruction or looting of homes and infrastructure. Over 12,000 civilians were forcibly displaced, with at least 92 homes completely destroyed and 123 partially damaged. Eighteen separate incidents of arson targeting homes near the Latakia-Qardaha road were also reported, often accompanied by looting. One video showed the home of opposition figure Yasser Makhlouf burned to the ground, with graffiti identifying the perpetrator.
Security forces were actively involved in the raids and arrests. Although the Ministry of Defense announced the arrest of two individuals filmed committing abuses, no information on their prosecution has been released.
The report holds the Syrian government directly responsible for the abuses due to its control over security and military operations in the area. A so-called “independent investigative committee” was established by the government, but its credibility has been widely questioned, even by pro-government sources. The committee is accused of failing to conduct field visits or release any substantive findings.
From a legal perspective, the documented violations meet the criteria defined in the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. These include willful killing, forced displacement, torture, and persecution on sectarian grounds. While Syria is not a party to the Rome Statute, the report argues that the crimes fall within the Court’s jurisdiction and could be referred by the UN Security Council.
Recommendations:
- To the Syrian government: Immediately halt all operations against civilians, allow access to independent investigators, and ensure accountability for all perpetrators.
- To the international community: Impose sanctions on those responsible, support legal documentation efforts, and protect human rights defenders in conflict zones.
- To human rights organizations: Continue evidence collection, establish a national documentation center, and provide legal and psychological support to victims and their families.
The report concludes that the events in Syria’s coastal region in early 2025 mark a bloody chapter of sectarian violence, reinforced by entrenched impunity and the absence of meaningful accountability. The Kurdish Committee for Human Rights — Rasad has urged urgent international action and the creation of an impartial investigation to ensure justice for the victims and prevent future atrocities.
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