Syria Hands Down Death Sentences for Coastal Sectarian Violence

A Syrian military court has imposed death sentences on two individuals for their involvement in sectarian violence that occurred along the country's coast in March 2025, as reported by the state news agency Sana on Thursday. The Military Criminal Court in Aleppo also handed down prison terms to three other defendants, while two were acquitted.

Al Waddah Ismail and Maher Ali were found guilty of inciting civil war and sectarian conflict, and of leading armed gangs with the objective of attacking public forces. Both were consequently sentenced to death. Maher Othman received a 12-year prison sentence for complicity in these offenses. Mohammed Bakour was sentenced to 20 years for intentional murder, and Ammar Abdul Aal received a three-year sentence for torture. Abdul Raouf Bakrjan and Mohammed Zarzouri were acquitted by the court.

Public hearings commenced at the Palace of Justice in Aleppo on November 18, 2025. These recent verdicts follow rulings made on September 17 concerning four other defendants accused of violations during the same period of violence. During that earlier hearing, pro-government fighters were reported to have killed hundreds of members of the Alawite minority. One defendant in that case received a death sentence, another a life imprisonment sentence, a third a 20-year prison term, and the fourth was acquitted.

The violence erupted after attacks on army and security facilities on March 6, 2025. A national investigative committee's report from July 22 of the previous year indicated that remnants of Bashar Al Assad's deposed regime were responsible for widespread attacks resulting in the deaths of 238 military and security personnel. The committee also documented violations against civilians in the days following these attacks, concluding that while not organized or systematic, these abuses were carried out by individuals and small groups for various reasons.

In a separate development, Syria’s General Intelligence Service has apprehended Ali Kayali, also known as Mihrac Ural, a primary suspect in the 2013 Baniyas massacre. Kayali was detained as he attempted to cross the border. He had previously formed an armed militia that fought alongside forces loyal to the deposed Assad regime during the Syrian civil war. This militia has been linked to mass killings in various locations, including Al Bayda and Ras Al Nabaa in Baniyas. Reports from the Syrian Network for Human Rights detail that 264 civilians, including 36 children and 28 women, were killed in Al Bayda, and 195 civilians, including 56 children and 43 women, in Ras Al Nabaa. Accounts describe summary executions, the burning of homes, and the destruction of bodies. Militias associated with Kayali have also been accused of massacres in the Latakia, Aleppo, and Idlib countrysides, causing hundreds of casualties.

Furthermore, Kayali is considered the main suspect in the 2013 twin bombings in Reyhanli, Turkey, which killed 52 people, according to Anadolu Agency. Earlier in the current month, Turkish intelligence arrested Omar Al Khatib, identified as one of the alleged planners of the Reyhanli bombing, while he was attempting to escape by sea to Europe. Reports suggest he facilitated coordination between the attackers and members of the deposed regime’s intelligence services. On October 4, Syrian security forces arrested Jamal Tarabulsi, identified as Kayali’s deputy. The Interior Ministry has stated its ongoing efforts to apprehend individuals accused of violations against civilians during the Assad regime, as part of its commitment to transitional justice and accountability.