EU welcomes UN report on massacres against Alawites in Syria
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The EU welcomes a UN report on rights violations against Alawite civilians in Syria and urges reforms, accountability, and justice.
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Reinforcement Syrian security forces deploy in the outskirts of Latakia, Syria, Friday, March 7, 2025 (AP)
The European Union welcomed the probe published by the United Nations on Thursday, which investigated the violations committed against Alawite civilians in Syria's coastal provinces.
"The European Union welcomes the publication today of the report by the United Nations’ Commission of Inquiry (CoI) on violations committed against civilians in coastal and western central Syria between January and March 2025," the statement said.
It noted that the European Union commends the effort to document violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, adding that the EU has considered the interim government's reply to the report and the access it gave for the investigations to take place.
The EU called on Syria's transitional government to act swiftly in implementing the report's recommendations to ensure accountability for all suspected perpetrators, based on the findings outlined in the document.
Accountability key to stabilizing Syria
"All those responsible for grave violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, both in the Assad and post-Assad era, must be held accountable and brought to justice. Only by confronting abuses openly can the path be cleared for reconciliation and stabilisation in the country," the EU added in its statement.
It expressed its concern regarding the repeated waves of violence in Syria, responsible for raising community tensions, and called on the Syrian authorities to disarm, demobilize, and restructure its General Security Forces, according to international norms and standards.
The European bloc emphasized the critical need for sweeping reforms to Syria's judicial system to ensure it can enforce the rule of law fairly and effectively. The statement also stressed that current circumstances make it imperative to pursue an inclusive, peaceful transition that moves beyond sectarian conflicts, curbs inflammatory rhetoric, and ends persistent violence.
The statement reaffirmed the EU's ongoing support for the Syrian people's pursuit of a peaceful transition, emphasizing its readiness to deploy both financial and non-financial resources while urging all domestic and international actors to uphold Syria's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as to safeguard the human rights of every Syrian without discrimination.
Syria coast massacres targeted Alawites: UN probe
A recent United Nations investigation into Syria's conflict has revealed that the coastal region's escalating violence disproportionately affected Alawite populations, with the situation reaching its peak in early March through a series of massacres targeting these communities.
The Commission documented attacks featuring unlawful executions, torture, and post-mortem abuses, noting how victims' remains were intentionally left uncollected for days as authorities obstructed families from observing traditional burial rites.
UN Commission of Inquiry chair Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro characterized the findings as profoundly alarming in an official statement, emphasizing the particularly shocking nature of both the extent and viciousness of the atrocities recorded in their investigation.
