UN: Violence in Sweida amounts to war crimes

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said that the violence in Sweida, a predominantly Druze region in southern Syria, in July 2025 involved acts that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

UN Commissioner Fionnuala Ní Aoláin said in a report issued by the Commission, "The serious violations committed by members of government forces and Druze armed groups may amount to war crimes, requiring extensive, prompt, effective, and impartial investigations to ensure justice and guarantees of non-recurrence," according to Agence France-Presse.

The UN inquiry commission stated in its Friday report that it "documented... executions, torture, sexual violence, and widespread burning of homes. Among other human rights violations, the Commission considered that these could amount to war crimes, and if the necessary elements are confirmed through further investigations, they could amount to crimes against humanity."

The Commission, which has been investigating violence in Syria since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, noted that the July 2025 events began against a backdrop of sectarian tension "and developed into three destructive waves of violence, two of which targeted Druze civilians, while the third targeted Bedouin civilians."

The Commission’s report relied on 409 direct testimonies from survivors and witnesses in the affected communities, in addition to extensive field visits to the most severely impacted areas.

It reported that after the Syrian government granted approval for the Commission members to enter, "investigators found widespread destruction, especially in Druze villages, where tens of thousands of homes, commercial premises, and places of worship were burned."

The report warned that the city "remains deeply divided." It added, "Of the approximately 200,000 people displaced in mid-July, around 155,000—mostly from burned Druze villages—are still unable to return. Nearly all Bedouin residents remain forcibly displaced."

The report quoted Commission Chair Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro as saying that "the scale and brutality of the documented violence and violations in Sweida are extremely alarming."

It emphasized the need for "broad efforts to hold all perpetrators accountable, regardless of their affiliations or status, in order to rebuild trust among affected communities, along with conducting an honest dialogue to address the underlying causes."

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