Syrian court sentences two to death over 2025 coastal violence

A military court in Aleppo sentenced Al-Waddah Ismail and Maher Ali, supporters of the ousted Assad regime, to death for seeking to incite civil war, according to state media. A third defendant, Maher Othman, received 12 years in prison.

For the first time, members of the new government's forces stood trial over the violence: a Defence Ministry soldier, Mohammed Bakour, received 20 years for intentional homicide. Another man got three years for torture, and two were acquitted.

Killed in March 2025, mostly civilians

1,426 people

At least 1,426 people, mostly civilians, were killed over several days in March 2025 in the mainly Alawite coastal regions of Syria.

Background

A government committee identified 298 suspects. It said pro-Assad fighters killed 238 members of the army and security forces, after which pro-government reinforcements carried out alleged revenge killings.