Syrian Investigation into Coastal Massacres Falls Short; Rights Group Calls for Release of Report and Full Accountability
On Wednesday, July 23, a Syrian government-appointed committee that investigated massacres of civilians in Syria’s coastal regions in March announced its findings at a press conference. The disclosures of the “Impartial Investigation Committee on Coastal Crimes” (Committee) were inadequate. Human Rights First calls on President al-Shara to release the Committee’s full report.
The Committee was charged with investigating the terrible killings, which appear to have been committed largely by militias that are aligned with and have been incorporated into Syria’s new government, with significant foreign fighter participation. Even understanding that the Committee had a huge task and referred hundreds of names to the Syrian government for further investigation, its disclosures were simply inadequate, particularly in that it absolved the government of any responsibility.
“Given the Committee’s determination that nearly 1,500 people died during just several days of violence and the reporting and videos implicating government forces in at least some of the violence, it is not credible for the Committee effectively to ascribe no responsibility to the government,” said Josh Colangelo-Bryan, Human Rights First’s special counsel and author of the organization’s June report on Syria,
The only actors the Committee named as having taken part in violence were “Assad remnants” who attacked government forces and “Gypsy groups” that allegedly preyed on civilians. Otherwise, the Committee stated that unnamed “militias” committed violence but did not name the specific militias or their leaders, even though a number of such individuals have been sanctioned by the European Union for their involvement in the attacks.
Moreover, the Committee effectively absolved the government of any responsibility for the militias’ actions. Specifically, the Committee said that, even though the militias have been incorporated into government forces, the integration of these groups has “in some ways only been formal.” Continuing to distinguish between the government and militias that are officially part of it, the Committee announced that government forces had acted with a “high degree of discipline” and were “focused on protecting civilians and upholding the law.”
Also troubling were the Committee’s seeming attempts to rationalize the violence. The Committee spoke of perpetrators being motivated perhaps by fear that the Assad regime would return and “repeat the horrific atrocities committed against them” or “by revenge against those they believed took part in killing, torturing, or assaulting their loved ones.”
“Even if one accepts that those who took part in mass killings were animated by these feelings,” said Colangelo-Byran, “it is axiomatic that such impulses cannot justify murder or other crimes against civilians.”
The Committee made clear that it plans no further disclosures regarding its report, which it said is now in President al-Shara’s hands, and that only the president is empowered to release additional information.
Notwithstanding the obvious flaws in the Committee’s report, Human Rights First calls on Syria’s transitional government to release the full report and urges U.S. and E.U. advocacy for the same. Human Rights First further calls on the transitional government to ensure that a fair investigation into the massacres be conducted if that was not accomplished by the Committee.
The transitional government must also address sectarianism in military ranks and ensure accountability with respect to all reported abuses against civilians committed by government forces or independent militias. Human Rights First also urges the U.S. and the international community to offer greater support for meaningful transitional justice efforts in Syria to help anchor a peaceful, democratic transition from decades of Assad family oppression.
Human Rights First’s recent report, We Plant the Trees, They Cut Them Down: Human Rights Challenges and Promise in Post-Assad Syria provides more information and recommendations for human rights promotion in Syria. To speak with Colangelo-Bryan, please contact [email protected].
