Syria has interrogated and detained members of its defense and interior ministries suspected of committing abuses against civilians in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida in July, the committee investigating the violence has said.
Hundreds of people were killed in Sweida in violence that began between tribes and Druze factions but which worsened after Syrian troops were dispatched to the area. Bereaved relatives accused government forces of committing execution-style killings on camera.
Syria appointed a committee to investigate the violence on July 31. Its spokesperson Ammar Izzedin told Syrian and regional media outlets on Tuesday night that members of both the interior and defense ministries had been questioned and referred to the judiciary over their suspected involvement in abuses.
Izzedin declined to say how many personnel were detained, but said they were Syrian nationals who carried out the atrocities in an individual capacity, according to Reuters.
He told regional broadcaster Al-Hadath the committee had confronted the suspects with “the video footage in which they were seen” committing abuses without specifying what they were.
Izzedin said the footage was “enough” as evidence since the fighters had filmed themselves, but that several had also confessed to committing the abuses after being shown the videos.
“They were detained by the interior and defense ministries to be transferred to the judiciary when the investigations are concluded to be publicly tried for the crimes they committed against Syrians,” Izzedin said.
He told local outlet Syria TV that the committee was keen to act swiftly to arrest the suspects even as it continued its investigative work. He did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for additional comment.
On Tuesday, Amnesty International urged Syrian authorities to hold members of government forces accountable for extrajudicial executions of Druze men and women on July 15 and 16 in Sweida.
The human rights organization confirmed that 46 individuals—44 men and two women—were deliberately shot dead, while two older victims were subjected to mock executions. These killings took place across multiple locations, including a public square, private residences, a school, a hospital and a ceremonial hall, it added.
The Syrian Interior Ministry on Tuesday welcomed the Amnesty International report on events in Sweida, stressing its commitment to protecting all Syrians.
Ministry spokesperson Noureddine Al-Baba told the Syrian state-run news agency, SANA, that the Ministry “positively” view Amnesty report and hope it will contribute to strengthening human rights in Syria.
“We extend our hands to any party can help us establish the rule of law and provide justice to victims” he added.
