The head of the National Investigation Committee into the Suwayda events, Judge Hatem al-Naasan, revealed that the competent judicial authorities are continuing to take the necessary legal measures, including referring suspects to the judiciary in public hearings, based on the findings and recommendations reached by the committee and in line with the provisions of the law and the principles of justice and the rule of law.

According to a statement by al-Naasan published by the Syrian Ministry of Justice on Friday, July 3, the step comes as part of the committee’s follow-up on investigations into violations that accompanied the events witnessed by the governorate in mid-July 2025.

He affirmed that all judicial procedures are being taken in accordance with legal principles and the guarantees provided by law, in a way that preserves the rights of all parties and guarantees the right to defense and a fair trial.

The National Investigation Committee into the Suwayda events had handed its final report to Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais on March 17, during a press conference held at the Ministry of Information building in Damascus, which Enab Baladi attended at the time.

Suspects Referred to Judiciary in Public Hearings

Al-Naasan revealed that the Military Public Prosecution began referring several people to an investigating judge, while some cases were referred to the Military Criminal Court in Damascus, where the court began hearing them in public sessions as of July 1, in the presence of the defendants and their lawyers, and in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the laws in force and the guarantees of a fair trial.

He affirmed that public trials and guaranteeing the right to defense are two fundamental pillars in the course of justice, reflecting a commitment to transparency and the rule of law and strengthening trust in judicial procedures.

He also stressed that the purpose of these procedures is to verify the facts and hold accountable anyone proven responsible for any violations, in accordance with the law and after judicial procedures are completed, regardless of their capacity or the party to which the acts are attributed, in a way that upholds the principle of equality before the law, protects human rights, and preserves the dignity of all citizens.

He said the committee is closely following all cases referred to the Military Public Prosecution based on its recommendations, especially the case related to the “al-Matouna” incident, which resulted in the deaths of several civilians, as part of its commitment to completing the investigation process, ensuring justice, and uncovering the truth in accordance with the law.

1,760 Victims From All Parties

During the handover of the report, the National Investigation Committee into the Suwayda events said the number of victims from all parties reached 1,760, while the number of injured reached 2,188.

The committee’s head, Judge Hatem al-Naasan, said during the press conference at the time that the violations were individual and not systematic, which, according to him, was confirmed by survivors’ testimonies to the committee.

Al-Naasan stated that referral to the judiciary during the committee’s work was not within its mandate, but because of the sensitivity of the events, an agreement was reached with the justice minister that accountability would be immediate before the final report was issued. As a result, 23 security and army members involved in committing violations were arrested, and they are now being tried publicly before the judiciary.

The committee’s spokesperson, lawyer Ammar Ezzedine, said at the time that the report is independent of the report of the international investigation committee, consists of 850 pages, and has the sole objective of achieving justice for victims from all parties.

Involvement of Various Parties

According to the “committee,” during the period from July 11 to 20, 2025, waves of violence escalated among residents of the area, “Bedouins and Druze,” and included property seizures, kidnappings and counter-kidnappings, assaults, and violations in which various parties, “Bedouins and Druze,” were involved.

It added that these disputes required government intervention to break up the fighting and impose security, but government forces were met with armed confrontations and exposed to several ambushes, in addition to Israeli airstrikes on government forces in the area and on the General Staff headquarters in Damascus, causing further chaos and retaliatory acts.

Suspects From Defense and Interior Personnel

The “committee” confirmed that it had reached a list of suspects from the Ministries of Defense and Interior, Druze armed groups, civilians, including Bedouins and tribes, and others for whom the committee had reasonable grounds to suspect involvement in crimes and grave violations.

It said it was unable to identify many of the people who appeared in photos and videos on social media, including masked individuals, so it decided to refer those videos and photos to the public prosecutor of the republic to take the necessary legal measures and expand the scope of the investigation.

File Referred to Public Prosecutor of the Republic

The “committee” referred the results of its work, along with all investigation files and evidence it had collected, to the public prosecutor of the republic, noting that the nature of the documented violations, and the repeated patterns associated with some of them during a specific period and in multiple locations, require continued national judicial investigations to determine all responsibilities arising from these acts.

Despite strict instructions from the Ministries of Defense and Interior to protect civilians, property, and civilian objects, the committee, it noted that the widespread proliferation of weapons and the presence of multiple armed groups outside the state’s full institutional control contributed to increasing the likelihood of violations against civilians, and complicated efforts to protect the population and restore stability.

According to the committee, the evidence it collected indicates the involvement of individuals belonging to various parties in committing violations, including members of irregular armed groups, ISIS members, people acting individually or within local groups, in addition to evidence proving the involvement of individuals from government security and military forces. Information related to those suspected of involvement was referred to the competent judicial authorities for review in accordance with legal principles.

The “committee” continued that army and General Security forces tried to prevent tribal forces from reaching Suwayda, but failed because of their large numbers and the leniency of some individuals with them after witnessing the violations.

The committee documented numerous testimonies stating that General Security prevented tribal groups from reaching Suwayda and forced them to return after they arrived in Damascus.

Government authorities took initial measures to investigate the committed violations, including forming the committee that issued this report, as well as arresting several individuals suspected of involvement and referring them to the judiciary. The continuation of these procedures transparently and independently constitutes a fundamental step toward strengthening accountability and preventing impunity, according to what was stated at the press conference.

What Were the Suwayda Events?

The Suwayda crisis reached its peak in July 2025, when the Syrian army tried to enter the city, claiming it sought to break up clashes that had erupted between the Druze community, which makes up the majority of the governorate, and Bedouin residents.

The government intervention was accompanied by violations against the city’s residents from the Druze community, which led to the outbreak of widespread clashes and brought Israel into the scene. Israel has continuously invoked the protection of Druze in Syria, citing kinship ties, and the matter later developed into strikes on the capital, Damascus, as well as targeting army members who had entered the city center.

The Israeli strikes led Syrian government forces to withdraw outside Suwayda city and position themselves in the western countryside, where they took control of more than 30 villages.

In contrast, the withdrawal did not end the crisis, but made it more complicated after local factions committed violations against Bedouin residents out of revenge, prompting “tribal mobilizations” to support Suwayda’s Bedouin tribes. As a result, clashes and violations continued on both sides.