Syria’s Minister of Justice, Mazhar al-Wais, announced that public trials related to the “coastal events” will begin soon, inviting media outlets to attend and cover the proceedings.

“There will be no impunity,” al-Wais told al-Mashhad TV on Wednesday, October 29, emphasizing that accountability will apply to both “remnants” and those who committed violations against civilians.

He added that Syria had recently taken strict measures against individuals inciting sectarianism and said that “millions of fake accounts spreading rumors in Syria have been shut down.”

Al-Wais also stated that “al-Assad will be tried before a Syrian court” and that new laws must be enacted to address war crimes. He stressed the need to bring justice to victims across Syria through accountability and compensation for those harmed.

The coastal events

The “coastal events” broke out on March 6, following actions by members of the former regime’s army targeting General Security personnel in the countryside of Latakia (western Syria).
The events led to large-scale violations and killings of hundreds of civilians based on sectarian affiliations.

In the aftermath, Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the causes of the events and the ensuing violations.

The spokesperson for the National Independent Commission of Inquiry, Yasser al-Farhan, said that 298 people accused of attacks against civilians and 265 accused of attacks on General Security personnel have been referred to the judiciary.

Three leading rights organizations, Human Rights Watch, Syrians for Truth and Justice, and the Syrian Archive, released a joint report on September 23 detailing the “coastal events.”
While the Syrian transitional government pledged accountability and investigations, the report noted that “transparency regarding the role of senior military and civilian leaders remains highly limited, with proceedings focusing on lower-level perpetrators rather than institutional or command responsibility.”

The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the deaths of 1,334 people, including 60 children and 84 women, as a result of the events.

Detainees over Suwayda events

Al-Wais said that a Justice Ministry committee formed to investigate the “Suwayda events” has detained several individuals involved and is currently gathering evidence to “reveal the truth.”

He affirmed that everyone responsible for violations against Syrians of all communities would be held accountable.

The minister explained that the committee has met with representatives of the Interior and Defense Ministries, as well as with victims from all communities, and is expected to conclude its work soon.

The Suwayda events

The Suwayda (southern Syria) events began on July 12 after a series of reciprocal kidnappings between residents of the al-Maqous neighborhood, mostly Bedouin, and members of the Druze community. The incidents escalated into armed clashes the following day.

The Syrian government intervened on July 14 to contain the conflict, but its intervention was accompanied by violations against Druze civilians, prompting a response from local factions, including those previously cooperating with the Ministries of Defense and Interior.

On July 16, government forces withdrew from Suwayda following Israeli airstrikes. This was followed by retaliatory attacks against Bedouin residents, leading to the mobilization of armed tribal convoys to defend them.

Subsequently, Syria and Israel reached a U.S.-brokered agreement to end military operations.
On September 16, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced a “roadmap” for resolving the Suwayda crisis following a tripartite meeting in Damascus between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, and U.S. Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack.

However, the “High Legal Committee in Suwayda,” formed by the Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, rejected the Foreign Ministry’s statement outlining the roadmap.

The governorate continues to witness security incidents amid mutual accusations between the government and local factions, the latest being an attack on a passenger bus traveling from Damascus to Suwayda on October 28 that killed and wounded several civilians.