A fact-finding committee formed by Syria’s new authorities to investigate a wave of deadly violence said on Tuesday the country was determined to ‘prevent unlawful revenge’.
‘The new Syria is determined to enshrine justice and the rule of law, protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens, prevent unlawful revenge and guarantee that there is no impunity,’ committee spokesman Yasser al-Farhan said at a press conference in Damascus.
Farhan said the committee was working on ‘gathering and reviewing evidence’ related to the wave of violence mainly along the Mediterranean coast, the heartland of the Alawite minority to which deposed president Bashar al-Assad belongs.
Security forces and allied groups killed at least 1,093 civilians since Thursday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor.
The UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday said it documented ‘summary executions’ that appeared ‘to have been carried out on a sectarian basis’.
‘In a number of extremely disturbing instances, entire families — including women, children and individuals hors de combat — were killed, with predominantly Alawite cities and villages targeted in particular,’ it said.
Farhan said the committee would ‘listen to the eyewitnesses’ and establish mechanisms for people to contact the investigators, as well as gathering and verifying video evidence.
The findings will be submitted to the presidency and the judiciary, Farhan said.
The presidency announced on Sunday the formation of the committee to ‘investigate the violations against civilians and identify those responsible for them’.
It said those found to be responsible for violations would be referred to the judiciary.
The violence broke on Thursday after the attempted arrest of a wanted suspect, with an attack by Assad loyalists against security spiralling into clashes.
The ensuing killings, mainly targeting members of Assad’s Alawite minority, have been described as a ‘massacre’ by the Observatory, local Christian leaders and Israeli and US officials.
Farhan said the committee would investigate events that occurred between Thursday and Saturday — when the Observatory had reported a ‘relative return to calm’ in the coastal region.
The Britain-based monitor, however, has reported more killings since including on Monday.
Speaking to AFP, many residents said they had witnessed the killing of civilians during violent fighting and security sweeps in the area.
The Observatory and social media users shared footage showing bodies piled outside a house, and men in military garb shooting people at close range.
AFP could not independently verify the images.