UN Syria Commission of Inquiry report finds Syrian coastal massacres amount to war crimes, urges justice for 1,400 killed

GENEVA — The United Nations’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian, led by Sérgio Pinheiro, Lynn Welchman and Hanny Megally, released a report today on the violence that swept through Syria’s coastal region since January, classifying these actions as war crimes.

“The violence — which primarily targeted Alawite communities and culminated in massacres in early March — included murder, torture, and inhumane acts related to the treatment of the dead, widespread looting and burning of homes all of which displaced tens of thousands of civilians by members of the interim government forces and private individuals operating alongside or in proximity to them, as well as by pro-former government fighters or so-called, remnants,” the Commssion stated.

Some of these horrific acts were filmed and disseminated on social media, along with footage of civilians being abused and humiliated.

The investigation called for expanding efforts to pursue and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Commission Chair Pinheiro expressed deep concern over the scale and brutality of the violence documented in the report.

They carried out extreme violence in the region, including the killing of Alawite men, preventing their families from burying the dead according to religious rites, as well as targeting individuals based on religion, age and gender.

The report also documented mass executions, kidnappings of women, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances.

Reports indicated that around 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the ensuing massacres.

The vast majority of victims were adult men, along with approximately 100 women, elderly individuals, people with disabilities and children.

The intense violence further deepened existing divisions among local communities, fueling widespread fear and insecurity among Syrians across Syria.

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack emphasized the report’s significance.

“The Commission’s fact-finding report on March coastal violence is a serious step towards definable and traceable metrics to the Syrian government’s responsibility, transparency, and accountability,” Barrack stated. “Here is a measurable and definable accomplishment. A united, inclusive Syria requires justice pursued consistently and some cadenced patience from the outside world.”