The official Syrian government news outlet, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), cited the top official in charge of a task force to investigate violence in Suwayda (or Sweida), Syria’s Druze stronghold, who said he had “requested the arrest of several army, security, and civilian personnel suspected of involvement in abuses.” The Emirati newspaper The National reported on Monday that arrests had occurred in relation to the reported slaughter of dozens of civilians in the region.
Judge Hatem al-Naasan, leading the task force investigating the violence in Suwayda, did not name any of the individuals allegedly arrested or identified for arrest, according to the SANA report. He repeatedly insisted during the press conference, however, that the Islamist Sharaa government would run a “credible and effective” investigation in the pursuit of justice for the victims.
“Al-Naasan explained that the committee’s mandate includes probing grave violations, identifying suspects, and referring cases to the judiciary,” SANA shared. “He stressed that the committee is committed to independence, neutrality, and balanced engagement with all parties. … He added that the committee has full authority, and anyone found responsible for violations will be held accountable under Syrian law.”
The evidence al-Naasan listed as available to investigators included “physical” evidence, “495 testimonies” and other interviews, and video footage taken by eyewitnesses.
“The faces were clear [in the videos]. They were referred to the judiciary,” The National quoted al-Naasan as stating, reiterating that Sharaa and other government officials were not pressuring his “independent” task force.
The current government of Syria came to power in December after toppling longtime dictator Bashar Assad, who fled to and received political asylum in Moscow. Sharaa was the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist terror organization that splintered off of al-Qaeda to focus on destroying the Shiite Alawite Assad regime. Following the HTS rise to power, violence erupted between Sharaa’s jihadists and several minority groups, including Alawites, Christians, and Druze.
In July, Sunni Arab Bedouin residents of Suwayda kidnapped, beat, and robbed a young Druze, prompting widespread violence killing dozens of people. Sharaa sent his forces into Suwayda, presumably to end the violence, but locals claim that Sharaa’s forces committed mass executions of civilians. Some reports suggested that Sharaa’s forces shot at medical workers tending to the injured. Those accusing Sharaa’s forces had on their side copious amounts of video footage that emerged on social media showing government forces attacking civilians.
The Druze, who maintain friendly relations with the neighboring government in Jerusalem, asked Israel to intervene. The Israeli military attacked Syrian government forces in response, including a bombing attack on the headquarters of the Syrian military in Damascus. Shortly after Israel’s participating in the conflict, the Druze and the Syrian government, alongside the Bedouins, brokered a ceasefire to end the violence. Sharaa ordered the Bedouin to evacuate Suwayda thanking them for “their heroic stances” and appearing to blame the Druze and Israel for the violence.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an independent organization, estimated that over 1,120 people died in the conflict.
In its report on Monday, The National noted that the Druze in Suwayda had not allowed al-Naasan’s investigators into the area to compile evidence out of concern that Sharaa forces would once again attack. Citing Rayyan Maarouf, a researcher at the independent group Suwayda24, the National shared complaints that the investigative task force was focused only on punishing low-level violators.
“It has shown no interest in investigating the chain of command that allowed the massacres,” Maarouf told the newspaper, commenting from Suwayda. “The killings were not traffic accidents.”
Another local complained that the investigators were seeking evidence of individual violations, treating them as incidents of security forces going rogue rather than following systematic orders from the government.
The ceasefire in July, which the United States government helped broker, has mostly held save for some incidents last week in which armed Druze and Sharaa forces exchanged fire. The Druze accused the Sharaa government of launching attack drones at their organized militia, the National Guard, forcing them to repel the transgression. No deaths have been reported at press time.
The Syrian government’s announcement of alleged progress in investigating the violations follows a visit to the White House by Sharaa last week, a historic trip as a Syrian president had never before visited the American president’s residence and office. President Trump has been supportive of Sharaa despite his jihadist past and reiterated to reporters last week that he believes in Sharaa’s ability to guide the reconstruction of post-war Syria.
“He’s a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place. Tough guy. I like him,” Trump said. “I get along with the president, the new president in Syria, and we’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful, because that’s part of the Middle East. We have peace now in the Middle East.”
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