Learn About Our Efforts to End the Massacres Against the Alawite Minority
This section explains the current humanitarian situation and presents details of the international campaign to stop the massacres and abductions targeting the Alawite minority in Syria. It highlights the human rights and humanitarian principles that guide our work to protect civilians and pursue justice.
Ending the Massacres Targeting the Alawite Minority in Syria
The Current Humanitarian Situation
Between March 7 and 9, 2025, several massacres targeted the Alawite minority in Syria, particularly in the coastal and central regions such as Latakia, Tartus, and Hama. Armed groups carried out coordinated attacks on Alawite villages, where civilians — including women and children — were executed, kidnapped, or burned inside their homes.
Witnesses reported that entire families were wiped out, and some victims were killed solely because of their sectarian identity. The assaults involved both ground incursions and heavy bombardment, leaving widespread destruction and forcing many survivors to flee.
Human rights organizations estimate that over 1,400 civilians were killed within those three days, marking one of the deadliest episodes of identity-based violence in Syria’s recent history. The massacres underscore the urgent need for international investigation, accountability, and protection of all civilians regardless of their background.
Speech of the President of the Organization
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests,
Allow me first to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the organizers of this noble gathering — a moment where the human conscience meets the call for justice.
It is an honor to address you on behalf of the Swedish Organization for Human Rights, which, since its establishment, has been and remains a voice defending human rights everywhere — especially in our wounded homeland, Syria.
Our presence here today is not a symbolic gesture, but a moral and principled stance. We stand beside all the victims whose dignity has been violated, whose freedom has been taken, and whose humanity has been crushed — whether at the hands of the Assad regime or those who falsely claimed the revolution while committing atrocities in its name.
We hereby declare our full support for the legal case filed against Ahmad al-Shar’a, known as al-Jolani, and all those responsible with him, for the grave violations and acts of genocide committed against civilians — particularly members of Syria’s minorities, including Alawites, Druze, Christians, and others who share the same homeland.
We believe that justice cannot be divided, that crimes do not expire with time, and that impunity is the enemy of peace.
This gathering marks an important moment and sends a clear message to the international community: Syrian blood is not cheap, and those who have committed crimes against humanity — whoever they may be — must be held accountable.
Finally, we extend our respect to everyone present here today, and to all who believe that defending humanity knows no borders, identity, or sect. We reaffirm our commitment, as an independent organization, to continue our human rights work and uphold universal human values — until the justice our people deserve is achieved.
Thank you.
Stop the Massacres Against the Alawite
Testimonies from Survivors and Voices from the Ground
This section presents firsthand testimonies from survivors and their families, expressing their suffering as well as their determination to pursue peace and justice.
This testimony tells a story of hope and courage amid ongoing suffering, shedding light on the power of compassionate humanitarian support.
The Organization’s Human Rights Report on the Coastal Massacres
We urge you to take an active part in supporting the rights of the Alawite minority and protecting abducted women.
Testimony Summary – Jableh, March 7, 2025
On the evening of March 7, 2025, armed men affiliated with the so-called “soldiers of A. A.” attacked residential buildings in Furwah Street, Jableh city. According to the testimony, the attackers stormed the building where H. A., a civilian trader, lived with his family.
They began by destroying property and setting fire to cars and nearby shops, before moving from one apartment to another. Several unarmed civilians were executed, including neighbors identified only by their initials M. F. and A. F., along with their family members.
When the assailants reached H. A.’s apartment, they shot him multiple times after he pleaded not to be killed in front of his children. His wife and two daughters were left alive, but he sustained severe injuries and survived after receiving traditional medical help from a neighbor two days later.
The witness reports that the victims’ bodies remained in the building for two days before burial, as ambulances and medical personnel were prevented from accessing the site due to threats from the armed group.
Following the massacre, the perpetrators looted agricultural machinery and other valuable property belonging to the victims and their relatives. The families continue to live under fear and surveillance, unable to file formal complaints due to ongoing intimidation.