Syria Sentences Two Assad Loyalists to Death Over 2025 Coastal Violence

A Syrian military court has sentenced two supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad to death over their alleged roles in inciting an uprising in March 2025, while several members of the country's current security forces have also been convicted in connection with the killing of civilians.

The Military Criminal Court at the Palace of Justice in Aleppo announced the verdicts on Thursday, October 15, 2026, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

The two defendants sentenced to death were identified as Al-Waddah Ismail and Maher Ali. They were convicted of attempting to incite civil war and sectarian conflict, as well as leading armed groups with the intention of attacking government security forces.

Another defendant, Maher Othman, received a 12-year prison sentence, although the court did not immediately disclose the specific charges against him.

Government Security Personnel Also Convicted

In separate rulings, the court sentenced Mohammed Bakour, a member of the Defence Ministry's 82nd Division, to 20 years in prison for intentional homicide.

Ammar Abdul Aal received a three-year prison sentence for torture, while two other defendants, Abdul Raouf Bakrjan and Mohammed Zarzouri, were acquitted.

The proceedings relate to investigations into sectarian violence that erupted in Syria's coastal regions in March 2025. At least 1,426 people, mostly civilians, were killed during several days of clashes in predominantly Alawite communities.

The violence involved supporters of the former Assad government and members of the security forces serving Syria's new authorities.

Investigation Documents Serious Abuses

A government investigation committee identified 298 suspects allegedly involved in serious violations during the violence.

According to the committee, abuses committed on March 7, 8 and 9, 2025, included murder, looting, the destruction and burning of homes, torture and sectarian insults.

The committee also reported that 238 members of the army and security forces were killed by fighters loyal to Assad during attacks in the provinces of Tartous, Latakia and Hama.

Following those attacks, approximately 200,000 pro-government military reinforcements reportedly moved into the affected areas. Members of the new government's forces were subsequently accused of carrying out retaliatory killings against civilians from the Alawite minority.

First Trials Involving Government-Linked Personnel

The latest verdicts mark a significant development in Syria's efforts to investigate the coastal violence, as personnel linked to the current government have been put on trial for alleged abuses.

Al Jazeera correspondent Heidi Pett, reporting from Damascus, said the uprising was launched by individuals who remained loyal to Assad after his government fell in late 2024.

Some former soldiers and militia members reportedly fled to mountainous areas before launching attacks against the new authorities in March 2025.

The subsequent deployment of government forces was followed by allegations that civilians from the Alawite community were killed in revenge attacks.

The trials involve individuals accused of participating in the initial pro-Assad uprising and members of the new government's security forces accused of retaliatory violence.

In an earlier round of proceedings on September 17, 2026, a Syrian court issued verdicts against four other defendants connected to the coastal violence. One was sentenced to death, another received life imprisonment, and a third was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while the fourth was acquitted.

The latest rulings form part of broader efforts to establish accountability for the killings and other abuses committed during one of the deadliest episodes of sectarian violence in Syria since the fall of the Assad government.