Amnesty Accuses Syrian Government of Executing 46 Druze, Urges Accountability for Crimes Under International Law
Rights group cites verified videos, photographs, and witness accounts showing Syrian government personnel executing unarmed Druze civilians in public squares, homes, a hospital, and even a school.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Syrian government forces and affiliated groups of executing at least 46 members of the country’s Druze minority during a wave of sectarian violence in July, urging accountability for what it described as crimes under international law.
The unrest erupted on July 13 after clashes broke out between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribesmen in Sweida province. Still, the fighting quickly escalated, drawing in government troops and allied tribal fighters.
While Damascus has maintained that its forces intervened to halt the violence, local witnesses, Druze factions, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights alleged that security forces sided with the Bedouin and carried out atrocities against Druze civilians.
According to the Observatory, more than 2,000 people were killed in the weeklong bloodshed, including 789 Druze civilians who it said were “summarily executed by defense and interior ministry personnel.” Amnesty’s own investigation documented the deliberate killings of 46 Druze civilians in Sweida city and its outskirts on July 15 and 16. The executions, it said, took place in public squares, private homes, a hospital, a school, and even a ceremonial hall.
Amnesty said it based its findings on verified video footage showing armed men in Syrian military and security uniforms executing unarmed individuals. Some perpetrators bore official insignia, while at least four others displayed black patches linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) group.
Three of those were filmed operating alongside government security personnel, though ISIS has not claimed responsibility for any attacks in Sweida. The rights group said it also analyzed photographs, weapons, and witness testimonies to corroborate the incidents.
“When government security or military forces deliberately and unlawfully kill someone, or when affiliated forces do so with government complicity or acquiescence, that constitutes an extrajudicial execution,” said Diana Semaan, Amnesty’s Syria researcher.
She stressed that such acts constitute crimes under international law, urging Syrian authorities to “promptly, independently, impartially and transparently investigate these executions and hold perpetrators accountable in fair proceedings.”
The government has so far not responded to Amnesty’s preliminary findings, which were shared with the interior and defense ministries. Authorities in Damascus have instead announced the formation of an investigating committee, which is expected to present its conclusions within three months.
Officials also pledged accountability after a graphic video circulated online showing the killing of an unarmed man inside Sweida hospital — one of several videos verified by Amnesty.
The violence has left Sweida reeling under severe humanitarian conditions. Residents reported that the main road linking the province to Damascus remained closed for more than a month, reopening only last week.
Meanwhile, Amnesty said it is also probing credible allegations of abductions carried out by both Druze armed groups and Bedouin fighters, highlighting the complexity of the conflict and the urgent need for impartial accountability.
