Europe Questioned Over Relations With Syrian Interim Regime
Amnesty International revealed that government-affiliated militias deliberately killed more than 100 people in targeted sectarian attacks against Alawite civilians in the coastal city of Banias on March 8-9, 2025. The killings, which the organization has described as war crimes, appear to be reprisal attacks against the Alawite minority following recent political upheaval in Syria.
"Our evidence indicates that government-affiliated militias deliberately targeted civilians from the Alawite minority in gruesome reprisal attacks – shooting individuals at close range in cold blood," said Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnès Callamard. "For two days, authorities failed to intervene to stop the killings."
Systematic Targeting Based on Sectarian Identity
The massacres occurred after armed groups loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad launched coordinated attacks on security and military sites in Latakia and Tartous governorates on March 6. Following a government counteroffensive that restored control by March 8, militias affiliated with the current government began targeting Alawite civilians in towns along the coast.
Amnesty's investigation into 32 of these killings found that armed men specifically questioned residents about their sectarian identity before executing them. In some cases, victims were blamed for violations committed by the former Assad government, which Alawites dominated.
Eyewitness Accounts Reveal Brutality
One witness, identified only as Samira for security reasons, described how armed men raided her home and killed her husband after confirming they were Alawite. "I begged them not to take him. I explained that we had nothing to do with killings that happened in the past," she told investigators. Her husband was taken to the roof and shot in the head.
Another resident, Ahmad, received a phone call informing him armed men had raided his family home. "My mother told me that four armed men entered our home early in the morning. Their first question was if [my family members] were Alawite," he said. When his elderly father attempted to protect his brother from a beating, he was ordered to turn away and shot in the back.
Mass Graves and Denied Dignity
Victims' families reported being forced to bury their loved ones in mass graves without religious ceremonies. One witness described seeing "hundreds of corpses" lined up in an empty lot next to a cemetery, where bodies were buried "next to each other and above each other."
Official Response Falls Short
While Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government has pledged accountability and established a fact-finding committee, Amnesty International stressed the need for independent, impartial investigations with sufficient authority and resources.
"Syrians have already endured more than a decade of impunity for grave violations and mass atrocities," Callamard stated. "The latest massacres targeting the Alawite minority create new scars in a country already burdened by too many unhealed wounds."
EU Policy Questioned Amid Human Rights Abuses
As evidence of these atrocities mounts, serious questions arise about the European Union's eagerness to normalize relations with Syria's interim government. Several EU member states have recently signaled willingness to engage diplomatically with Damascus, citing regional stability concerns and refugee return possibilities.
However, human rights advocates are now challenging whether such normalization efforts are premature given these documented abuses. "The EU cannot claim to stand for human rights while rushing to embrace a regime whose affiliated militias are committing sectarian massacres," said a spokesperson for a Brussels-based human rights organization.
With the EU's foreign policy historically emphasizing human rights protections, these developments present a troubling contradiction. Will European leaders condition future relations on meaningful accountability for these crimes, or will geopolitical interests once again supersede human rights concerns in Syria?
Amnesty International has called on all international actors, including the European Union, to pressure the Syrian government to ensure perpetrators are held accountable and implement human rights vetting processes to prevent those responsible from remaining in positions where they could commit further violations.
"Without justice," warned Callamard, "Syria risks falling back into a cycle of further atrocities and bloodshed."
Photo: The flag of the Alawite State. The Alawite State was a French mandate territory established on the coast of present-day Syria after World War I. It was initially named the "Territory of the Alawites" (territoire des Alaouites in French) before being renamed to "Alawite State" (État des Alaouites) when it was integrated into the Syrian Federation in 1922. The French Mandate, authorized by the League of Nations, lasted from 1920 to 1946.