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Amnesty International Reveals Evidence of Extrajudicial Executions of Druze in Sweida
Amnesty International has uncovered conclusive evidence linking Syrian government forces and their affiliated militias to carrying out extrajudicial executions of dozens of Druze residents in Sweida province. This marks a new escalation connected to the government's efforts to impose security and control over the region.
In its report, the organization documented mass executions that took place on July 15 and 16, involving the killing of 44 men and two women. These killings occurred amid ongoing tensions in the area between armed Druze groups and opponents from Bedouin clans, along with staged executions of elderly individuals. The executions were carried out in multiple locations, including public squares, homes, schools, and hospitals, amid sectarian slogans and attacks on religious figures.
Amnesty’s team conducted interviews with 15 descendants of victims from the region and reviewed documented photos and videos from various sites, which provide concrete proof of extrajudicial killings, along with direct testimonies from the victims’ families. The organization is also investigating abduction incidents carried out by armed groups between July 17 and 19, collecting evidence and analyzing it independently.
The digital lab of Amnesty examined 22 video clips and images, analyzed the used weapons, and is currently awaiting responses from the Syrian Ministry of Interior and Defense to its messages requesting the results of investigations and steps taken to hold the perpetrators accountable.
In its statement, Amnesty called on the international community to pressure the Syrian government to hold accountable those responsible for these unprecedented violations. It emphasized the need for international resolve to ensure justice for sectarian killings, establish mechanisms to prevent such operations from recurring, and restore trust through justice efforts in southern Syria, where deep tensions persist amid the absence of justice and deterrent measures.
