Aleppo court begins high-profile trial after March coastal violence
Aleppo — A public trial opened Tuesday in Aleppo for 14 people accused in the deadly, sectarian-tinged clashes that erupted along Syria’s coast in March. The defendants are a small group drawn from a larger pool of 563 suspects referred to the judiciary after a months-long, government-led investigation.
State media reported that seven of those in court were described as pro-Assad loyalists and seven as members of the new government’s security forces. Possible charges listed by authorities include sedition, inciting civil war, attacking security forces, murder, looting and leading armed gangs.
Although state outlets initially suggested charges might be filed immediately, the judge adjourned the hearing and set the next session for December. The adjournment leaves unresolved questions about the pace and scope of the judicial process given the large number of suspects and the scale of the violence.
Televised proceedings included courtroom questioning about whether defendants were military or civilian. In one case, prosecutors presented video evidence of an alleged targeted killing. The defendant denied the footage, calling it fabricated, while the judge told him the video clearly showed him committing the act.
“My son was arrested for violations on the coast ... he took a video that accidentally went viral. He's now being prosecuted,” said Ayman Bakkour outside the courthouse, speaking about his son who serves in the government's 82nd Division and has been detained for at least seven months.
The March clashes began when armed groups aligned with government forces ambushed the new government's security personnel, according to official accounts. A counteroffensive then escalated into sectarian reprisals that officials say included mass attacks on members of the Alawite minority, which is concentrated along the coastline and is the sect to which Bashar al-Assad belongs.
In July, the government-investigating committee reported that more than 1,400 people — mostly civilians — were killed during several days of violence. The committee said it found no evidence that Syria’s new military leaders ordered attacks on the Alawite community. A separate United Nations inquiry, however, concluded that violence targeting civilians by government-aligned factions had been “widespread and systematic,” reporting that homes in Alawite-majority areas were searched and residents questioned about their sect before men and boys were taken away and executed.
The trial comes amid domestic and international pressure on Syria’s interim authorities to demonstrate meaningful judicial reform and address concerns about human rights and accountability. Since taking office in December, interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s administration has also sought to reduce diplomatic isolation and press for sanctions relief to aid reconstruction.
What to watch next
Observers will be watching whether the proceedings maintain transparency, how quickly additional hearings proceed, and whether prosecutions will reach higher-ranking figures. Given the numbers involved and the politically sensitive nature of the incidents, the judicial process is likely to be prolonged and closely scrutinized by both domestic constituencies and international actors.
