The Syrian Future Movement welcomes the release, on March 27, 2026, of the comprehensive (85-page) report by the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (COI) concerning the violence in the southern Syrian province of As-Suwayda.
The Syrian Future Movement commends the Commission’s professional documentation of events that unfolded in three main phases between July 14 and 19, 2025, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,707 people (mostly civilians from the Druze community, along with civilians from the Bedouin community, and 225 members of the Syrian government forces) and the displacement of approximately 155,000 people (some estimates suggest this number could reach 200,000). The report also documented grave violations including extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, looting, the burning of homes and villages (more than 35 villages), the destruction of property and religious sites, forced displacement, targeting women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and sectarian insults. The report concluded that some of these violations may amount to war crimes and others to crimes against humanity, and it indicated the responsibility of all parties involved: government forces and security services and affiliated tribal fighters, local Druze armed groups, and some elements associated with ISIS.
The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its previous position, expressed in its statement issued on March 18, 2026, entitled “Submission of the Final Report on the Suwaida Events,” published on its official website (sfuturem.org), in which it welcomed the National Commission’s report and emphasized the necessity of transparent and comprehensive transitional justice.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that this UN report follows previous credible reports, most notably:
- The report of the Syrian National Commission of Inquiry (established by the interim government), which the commission, headed by Judge Hatem al-Naasan and its spokesperson, lawyer Ammar Ezzedine, submitted to the Minister of Justice on March 17-18, 2026 (along with a press conference on the same day). This report documented 1,760 deaths and 2,188 injuries, describing the violations as “individual” rather than systematic, and noting the arrest of 23 security and military personnel and the referral of the suspects to the judiciary.
- Amnesty International’s report, issued on September 2, 2025, documented 46 extrajudicial killings (44 Druze men and two women, in addition to two other individuals) by government and affiliated forces on July 15 and 16, 2025.
The Syrian Future Movement views these consistent reports, with their figures and facts, as confirmation of the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe that has befallen this historically significant Syrian province. They also reflect the fragility of the security situation during this sensitive transitional phase following decades of authoritarian rule.
From an objective national perspective, the Syrian Future Movement affirms that the events in Suwaida represent a painful example of the tension between the transitional government, which seeks to restore the authority of the central government and the rule of law, and the local de facto forces in Suwaida (including armed groups with a community defense character). We believe this conflict has deep historical roots stemming from the policies of the former regime, which fueled sectarian and tribal divisions. Its continuation threatens the unity of Syrian territory and obstructs the path to national stability.
The Syrian Future Movement calls for viewing these reports as a genuine opportunity to build a modern Syrian state that protects everyone, and offers the following recommendations:
- Accelerate transitional justice by forming a permanent, independent national commission for transitional justice (drawn upon national and international reports) to ensure accountability for those responsible for violations, regardless of their affiliation, guaranteeing fair and transparent trials, and preventing any form of sectarian or political reprisal.
- Reform the security sector radically and gradually by integrating local forces in Suwaida into the framework of the army and national security services under a single central command, with a structured disarmament and rehabilitation program that respects community specificities without allowing for “states within the state.”
- Achieve comprehensive societal reconciliation by launching an open national dialogue among the people of Suwaida (Druze, Bedouin, and Christians) and other Syrian communities, supported by neutral local committees, with immediate compensation programs for victims and a safe return for displaced persons, and hold a national reconciliation conference in Suwaida this year as an immediate implementation step.
- Guarantees of non-recurrence through legislative reform that prevents the repetition of violations, and strengthening the role of civil society and independent media, while requesting international support conditional on Syrian sovereignty.
- Establishing a long-term strategic vision for building a local economy in southern Syria that reduces dependence on weapons, in addition to strengthening a unifying national identity that transcends sub-national identities.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms that Syria today stands at a crossroads: either it transforms the pain of the past into a force for building a shared future, or it remains trapped in a cycle of violence. We, as a national civil movement, believe that the only way forward is the path of truth, justice, and genuine national reconciliation. Therefore, we call on all parties to embrace these reports as a tool for building trust, not for deepening divisions.
