Mannheim Conference demands end to Syria massacres, justice
3 Min Read
The Inaugural Mannheim conference in Germany concluded its first convention, which aims to push for the protection of minorities in Syria who were affected by the recent massacres along the Syrian coast.
-
Reinforcement Syrian security forces deploy in the outskirts of Latakia, Syria, Friday, March 7, 2025 (AP)
The inaugural Mannheim Conference in support of Syria’s Al-Sahel, Homs, and Hama regions concluded in Mannheim, southwestern Germany, with participants pledging to use all means, from advocacy to documentation, to pursue justice and end atrocities in Syria.
The conference's concluding statement had all participants pledge to "To exhaust all means - through coordination, documentation, and advocacy - to secure justice, end killings, and punish perpetrators," calling "to adopt positions consistent with international laws and human rights charters and take all necessary measures, whether related to investigation, follow-up, and monitoring, or to emergency relief, aid, and rehabilitation of affected areas."
The conference announced the establishment of a "follow-up committee" to remain in permanent session for coordination and communication with relevant parties and organizations concerned with Syrian affairs.
The Mannheim Conference marks the first initiative of its kind, bringing together for the first time in person a group of over 100 expatriate academics and activists originally from Syrian regions affected by recent massacres, in addition to several Alawite Syrian associations, unions, and organizations from across Europe and the United States.
Participants convened this conference, initiated by Syrian intellectuals based in Germany, to coordinate effective responses to the ongoing massacres, economic executions, and systematic marginalization targeting specific Syrian communities based on sectarian affiliation.
The conference featured extensive discussions, particularly following recent calls by religious authorities and activists from the Alawite community demanding international protection, a point reflected in the final statement's declaration that "it is he who killed based on identity who violates our nation's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, not the blood-soaked victim."
The conference's guest of honor was French-based journalist Mayada Rihaan, daughter of Um Ayman Rihaan, a woman who gained public attention when a video showed her guarding the bodies of her two sons and granddaughter.
The video shows Rihaan confronting armed men who had accused their Alawite community of treason. Mayada presented audio recordings of her final communication with one brother moments before his killing, asserting that the killers were wearing Ministry of Defense uniforms.
Pro-government groups committed war crimes in the Syrian coast: Amnesty
Earlier in April, Amnesty International found that the events that unfolded in Syria's coastline area were "war crimes", holding Syrian interim government forces accountable for the massacres.
Amnesty International highlighted that pro-government militants killed over 100 people in the seaside city of Baniyas on March 8 and 9, 2025. The group investigated 32 incidents and determined that they were purposeful and targeted the Alawite minority.
Eyewitnesses informed the organization that armed men asked victims if they were Alawites before threatening or murdering them.
In certain cases, they held them responsible for transgressions committed by the ousted regime. Authorities also compelled families to bury their loved ones in mass graves, with no religious or public rituals.
