Syrian Military Court Issues Death Sentence and Prison Terms Over Coastal Sectarian Violence

A Syrian military court on Thursday handed down a death sentence to one defendant, while sentencing two others to 25 years and 20 years in prison respectively, following deadly sectarian violence on Syria’s coast last year. Meanwhile, the Military Criminal Court chose to acquit a fourth defendant in the case.

These rulings mark the first verdicts delivered in a trial that commenced in November regarding the bloodshed of March 2025. During those events, pro-government fighters killed hundreds of members of the Alawite minority. According to a July 2025 report published by Syria’s National Commission for Investigation and Fact-Finding, the violence was triggered when forces loyal to ousted president Bashar Al Assad launched attacks on army and security headquarters.

The commission reported that the initial attacks on March 6 resulted in the deaths of 238 personnel, followed by documented violations against civilians in subsequent days. Investigators determined that these abuses were carried out by individuals and small groups with diverse motives rather than following a systematic pattern. This outbreak of violence stands as one of the most severe episodes of bloodshed since the regime of president Bashar Al Assad was overthrown by forces under President Ahmad Al Shara in December 2024.

A subsequent report by a Syrian fact-finding committee stated that a total of 1,426 people lost their lives during the unrest, encompassing both the attacks on security forces and the later mass killings of Alawites. Additionally, UN investigators reported in August of last year that interim government forces and fighters loyal to Syria’s former rulers likely committed war crimes.