ISTANBUL

A national Syrian committee will launch its first public trial session on Monday to investigate the violations that took place in the coastal region in March 2025, according to authorities.

The sessions will investigate those accused of committing violations in Syrian coastal events, with the presence of both local and international media, said the head of the Syrian National Committee for Investigation and Fact-Finding into the Events on the Coast, Judge Jomaa Aldbis Alanzi.

Syria’s coastal region witnessed widespread violations, including murder, torture, looting, and burning of homes, in March 2025, primarily targeting Alawi communities, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.

The violations were reportedly committed by individuals, some forces of the interim government, and remnants of the former Assad regime, resulting in the death of at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, the report showed.

The UN Commission acknowledged the Syrian authorities’ commitment to identifying the perpetrators and pursuing accountability for the incidents.

“These are pivotal moments in the country’s history, reflecting an image of Syria that is laying the foundations of justice and transparency, strengthening confidence in the judicial system, deterring criminals, safeguarding the rights of the accused, and ensuring fair trials,” Alanzi said on US social media company X.

He stressed “tremendous efforts” by the Justice, Interior, and Defense Ministries to enforce judicial procedures to hold those responsible accountable.

“This is of great importance to the families of the victims and to everyone concerned with the course of justice and fairness,” the judge added.

He noted that the implementation of the committee’s findings on the ground will prove to Syrians and the international community that “we live in a state that upholds justice and enforces the law, and this is the new Syria.”

Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024, Syria’s new administration has taken several measures to restore security in Syria and pursued political and economic reforms while promoting social cohesion and working to expand cooperation with regional and international partners.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January.