The "National Investigation Committee" into the violence that hit Syria's Sweida province last year stressed that accountability "will reach those who ignited sedition and incited it, and there will be no tolerance for anyone who committed a violation."

The Justice Ministry had announced the start of trial sessions for the accused as of July 1. Local sources in Sweida considered that accountability, "if it proceeds legally to achieve justice and fairness, would be an important step toward resolving the Sweida problem," while other sources doubted "the government's seriousness in prosecuting the accused."

Additional security measures around the Palace of Justice after the explosion (AFP)

The spokesman for the "National Investigation Committee," lawyer Ammar Ezz El-Din, told the Syrian "Al-Ikhbariya" channel that the committee was keen to adhere to the conditions of fair trials, stressing the importance of public trials.

He announced that the second trial session will be held on July 13, and attendance at trial sessions is available to those who wish, noting that the number of defendants in the Sweida events "cannot be limited at this stage due to ongoing investigations."

He stressed that the state "is serious about holding all perpetrators of violations accountable, and that arresting any person does not mean that they have committed violations before investigations are completed."

Ezz El-Din stated that dozens of defendants from various parties "are currently undergoing trial proceedings, and the rule of law applies to everyone without exception regardless of rank or position." He added: "Accountability will reach those who ignited sedition and incited it, and we stress that there will be no tolerance for anyone who committed a violation, and we are keen for the trial to be fair for victims and defendants."

In July 2025, Sweida province, a mostly Druze area in southern Syria, witnessed violence that resulted in the deaths of more than 2,000 people, including 789 Druze civilians, according to Syrian media. The "National Investigation Committee," formed by the Syrian authorities, documented at least 1,760 deaths, according to a report it presented last March.

Members of armed groups loyal to Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri during a patrol in Sweida (Archival - AFP)

The committee had announced, after its formation, the preparation of "a list of suspects from the Ministries of Defense and Interior, Druze factions, and civilians, including Bedouins and clans, of committing serious crimes and violations."

On Friday, the head of the "National Investigation Committee," Judge Hatem al-Naasan, said in a statement published by the Justice Ministry on its social media: "The military prosecution has begun referring a number of people to the investigating judge," noting that some cases have been referred to the "Military Criminal Court in Damascus."

Al-Naasan added that the court began considering them "in public sessions starting July 1, with the presence of the defendants and their lawyers, in accordance with the procedures stipulated in the applicable laws and guarantees of a fair trial," explaining that the purpose of these procedures is "to verify the facts and hold accountable everyone whose responsibility for any violations is proven... regardless of their status or the entity to which the acts are attributed."

A political activist in Sweida, who preferred not to be named, considered the government's announcement "a decent attempt, but not commensurate with the event because the issue is more complex than a matter of criminal trials, and the scene is more political than criminal."

Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri surrounded by his followers from the "National Guard" (Sweida 24)

The activist added to Asharq Al-Awsat: "What happened in Sweida was the result of a dysfunction, and all parties bear responsibility for it; the de facto authority in Sweida bears a large part of this responsibility, but the larger part is borne by the state as the guardian of all citizens in the country."

The activist considered that implementing the "road map" announced last September from Damascus to resolve the Sweida crisis, with American and Jordanian support, "is a necessary matter, but implementing the map is subject to the criteria of the conflict with Israel, which uses the province as a bargaining chip on issues related to Mount Hermon and its violations in southern Syria."

A local source in Sweida city, opposed to the policies of the leader of the Druze Unitarian sect, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, and what is known as the "National Guard," which took control of large parts of Sweida after the crisis erupted, confirmed: "We are for holding those involved in the recent events accountable from both sides, with the exception of those who were defending their homes, families, and country."

However, the source, who preferred not to be named, added to Asharq Al-Awsat: "We do not see that the government is serious about holding accountable those responsible for the crimes committed in Sweida, and the matter is limited to media only," noting that those "who were arrested are a small part of the perpetrators, and they have incriminated themselves through videos that spread from their mobile phones, and despite nearly a year having passed since the events, we have not heard of anyone being tried." At the same time, the source considered that accountability "if it proceeds in a fair legal manner, and to achieve justice and fairness, it would be an important step toward resolving the Sweida problem."

Syrian security forces near a road sign for Sweida city on July 15, 2025 (Reuters)

Meanwhile, Ms. Maysaa al-Abdullah, a resident of Sweida city, doubted "the Syrian government's seriousness in prosecuting those accused of committing acts of violence in the province."

She told Asharq Al-Awsat: "My position and orientation regarding what is happening in Sweida is known: I am against the position of the factions here, and at the same time the authority has not taken any step that would make the locals here trust it; it is contributing to distancing Sweida from itself, from Damascus, and from Syrians, and it is unknown whether this is intentional or unintentional," as she put it.