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Syria: ‘No Justice, No Peace’

“Justified under the pretext of combating the "remnants of the Assad regime," the massacres were primarily driven by sectarian hatred and a sense of "revenge," falsely equating the entire Alawite community with the former regime. This occurred despite the fact that the vast majority of Alawites did not support the attacks carried out by regime remnants against the security forces. Moreover, many of the civilians who were assassinated had actually opposed Assad’s rule and had celebrated its fall in December 2024.

“We have to be clear that these sectarian tensions and hatred are not due to ancient religious divisions or as something essential to the people of the region. Sectarianism and sectarian tensions are a product of modernity and have political roots. In this case, they are the result of the former Assad regime’s sectarian policies and practices, which were used as a tool to divide Syrians, as well as the actions of the new ruling authorities, including HTS and other opposition armed groups. These groups have actively instrumentalised sectarianism and continue to do so through their policies, actions, and rhetoric.

“Ahmed al-Shara and his allies in power have no interest in pursuing a comprehensive transitional justice mechanism, fearing that it would also expose them to accountability for their own crimes and abuses against civilians and various communities.”

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