"International Investigation" onthe events in Sweida: Remarkable progress in transitional justice
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said that during their recent visit to Damascus, its commissioners discussed with the government a range of challenges related to human rights and international humanitarian law.
In a statement published on its official profiles on Friday evening, July 17, the commission welcomed "the progress made in the transitional justice process, including legislative developments and judicial trials related to violations of the Assad era and the recent events in Sweida and the Sahel, considering that "these steps represent an initial indication towards consolidating accountability."
In its report, the Commission stressed that the implementation of recommendations on addressing the repercussions of the violence in Sweida and the Sahel has become an "indispensable necessity", stressing that the standards of truth and justice must be applied to all parties without exception, with clear guarantees of fair trials and full compliance with international law.
The Commission's Commissioners called on the Syrian authorities to expand the circle of consultations to include victim groups and civil society organizations in order to enhance confidence in transitional justice processes.
The commission considered that the one-year anniversary of the events in Sweida makes the start of trials on July 1 an "important" step, but it needs to complete subsequent legal procedures and ensure the implementation of recommendations on the events in the Sahel and Sweida, including criminal accountability and the fateful disclosure of missing persons and detainees.
The Syrian government has made progress in the UN recommendations
The UN recommendations call for structural reforms in the security sector and increased efforts to rebuild trust between local communities and the government, as well as addressing urgent humanitarian and economic needs and finding solutions to the widespread destruction of property to allow the safe return of displaced people to their areas.
The commissioners acknowledged that the Syrian government had made "progress on some recommendations", but stressed that civilians in Sweida remained in an "unstable situation" and that their judicial and humanitarian needs required "redoubled efforts, particularly with regard to children and young people's access to their schools and exam centres at the end of the school year".
The International Commission of Inquiry concluded its statement by calling on local armed groups in Sweida to release all those arbitrarily and unconditionally detained, to respect the fundamental rights of civilians, and to make every effort to end the impasse facing students seeking to access exam centers.
Public trials of "defendants" in the events in Sweida begin
The Military Public Prosecution began referring a number of people accused of the events in Sweida to the investigative judge and the Military Criminal Court in Damascus, which in turn began to consider them in public sessions as of July 1, in the presence of the defendants and their agents, and in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the laws in force and the guarantees of a fair trial.
In a statement published by the Ministry of Justice on Friday, July 3rd, the head of the Sweida Investigation Committee, Judge Hatem Al-Naasan, said that the publicity of trials and the guarantee of the right to defense are two main pillars in the path of justice, reflecting a commitment to transparency and the rule of law, and enhancing confidence in judicial procedures.
He stressed that the purpose of these procedures is to verify the facts and hold accountable anyone found responsible for any violations, in accordance with the law and after the completion of judicial procedures, regardless of his status or the party to whom the acts are attributed, in a way that achieves the principle of equality before the law, protects human rights and safeguards the dignity of all citizens.
He said that the Commission is following with great interest all cases referred to the Military Public Prosecution based on its recommendations, especially the case related to the "Matuna" incident, which resulted in the death of a number of civilians, as part of its keenness to complete the investigation process and ensure the achievement of justice and the disclosure of the truth in accordance with the law.
1,760 victims from all sides
The National Committee for the Investigation of the Events in Sweida handed over its final report to the Minister of Justice, Mazhar Al-Weiss, on March 17, and said during a press conference held at the Ministry of Information building in Damascus that the number of victims from all sides reached 1760 victims, and the number of injured reached 2188.
According to the committee's report, during the period from July 11 to 20, 2025, waves of violence escalated among the "Bedouins and Druze", including the confiscation of property, cases of kidnapping and kidnapping in return, and attacks and violations involving various parties, "Bedouins and Druze".
The committee continued that these disputes required government intervention to disengage and impose a state of security, but the government forces were met with armed confrontations and were subjected to several ambushes, in addition to the Israeli aircraft bombing of government forces in the area and the General Staff Command in Damascus, which caused more chaos and reprisals.
The committee confirmed that it had reached a list of suspects from members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior, armed groups and civilians, but it was unable to identify many people whose photos and videos appeared on social media, including masked men, so it decided to refer the said clips and photos to the Attorney General of the Republic to take the necessary legal measures and expand the scope of the investigation.