Overview

Syria has begun the trial of 14 people accused of involvement in March clashes that left hundreds dead in the country’s coastal provinces. The defendants appeared at Aleppo’s Palace of Justice after a government-led probe; seven are described as supporters of ousted president Bashar al-Assad and seven are members of the new government’s security forces. Charges reported by state media could include sedition, inciting civil war, attacking security forces, murder, looting and leading armed gangs, with the seven security personnel accused of "premeditated murder." The session was adjourned and the next hearing was set for December.

Context and findings

The proceedings come amid domestic and international pressure on President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s authorities to show judicial reform as they seek to lift sanctions and break diplomatic isolation. A National Commission of Inquiry has verified at least 1,426 deaths and identified 298 suspects related to the violence, while a UN probe concluded that attacks on civilians by government-aligned factions were "widespread and systematic," including executions of Alawite men and boys in some areas. Authorities say reinforcements were deployed after assaults on security forces, and the commission found no evidence that Syria’s new military leaders ordered targeted attacks on the Alawite community, but the events and the trial remain central to questions of accountability and reconciliation, as reported by Al Jazeera

This story has also been reported by: ABC News, France 24