Moscow decries ethnic violence in Syria, cites western inaction
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Russia points to a pattern of sectarian killings in Syria and criticizes the international community for prioritizing geopolitics over humanitarian accountability.
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Syrian Red Crescent workers collect bodies off a highway of a convoy of Syrians from the Druze community who were heading from the southern Sweida province towards the capital, southern Syria, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP)
Russia has voiced deep concern over the escalating ethnic violence in Syria, where armed groups are targeting civilians based on ethnicity and religion. Speaking at an Orthodox Easter reception, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the situation in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, was alarming.
“The situation in the Middle East is particularly troubling, especially in Syria, where groups of radical militants commit real acts of ethnic cleansing and mass executions on ethnic and religious grounds,” Lavrov stated.
Lavrov also took aim at Western nations, accusing them of turning a blind eye to atrocities that do not interfere with their global ambitions. “It’s astounding how easily the West fails to notice numerous crimes in various parts of the world as long as those crimes don’t prevent the West from promoting its global agenda, clinging to its elusive dominance, and trying to continue living at the expense of others,” he added.
The remarks reflect the Russian response to Syria’s deepening instability, where sectarian killings have intensified in recent weeks. Lavrov's comments also highlight Moscow’s longstanding criticism of what it sees as selective outrage in Western foreign policy.
Alawite Council rejects Syria’s Transitional Justice Commission
In a separate development, the Office of Coordination and Public Relations for Local and International Affairs of the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council in Syria and Diaspora has rejected the legitimacy of the recently announced National Commission for Transitional Justice, questioning both the authority under which it was created and its narrowly defined mandate.
In an official statement on Monday, the committee asserted that “it is neither within the rights nor the authority of the head of the de facto authority to form such a body,” declaring that the decree establishing the commission is “null and void” due to the lack of legislative power.
It also criticized the commission for focusing solely on violations committed by the former regime while ignoring “crimes committed by opposition and revolutionary forces,” as well as those perpetrated against Alawite and Druze communities following the regime’s fall.
Intense fighting erupted on March 6 between forces aligned with Syria's new administration and local forces in the coastal region. The violence has spread across Jableh, Latakia, and Tartus, forcing authorities to impose a curfew in several areas.
At the time, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 69 Alawites were executed by security forces in Latakia, accusing the new Syrian administration of targeting the sect once favored under Assad.
Footage from activists showed bodies piled in courtyards and victims being shot at close range. The Syrian Interior Ministry acknowledged "individual violations" but claimed they were responses to assassinations of security personnel.
As violence escalates, Alawite community members in Tartus and Latakia have staged protests outside the Russian military base in Hmeimim, demanding Moscow's intervention to protect them.
Reports indicated that over 1,500 people have been killed in the violence.
The Supreme Islamic Council for the Alawite Sect has called for UN Security Council intervention under Chapter VII, citing sectarian targeting and mass killings.
