One year after Suwayda violence, victims' families seek justice

aShafaq News- Suwayda

The 14th of July marks the first anniversary of the deadly violence that swept Syria's predominantly Druze province of Suwayda after Syrian government forces and tribal fighters launched an attack on the city following security tensions with Druze armed groups.

The violence left at hundreds of civilians killed and thousands injured, according to a United Nations report.

The bloodshed erupted in July 2025, initially amid sectarian tensions before escalating into three waves of violence. According to the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, two waves targeted Druze civilians, while the third targeted Bedouin civilians.

Nazira Ghanem, a Druze woman from Suwayda who lost her son, Ashraf al-Tawil, during the attack, told Shafaq News that her son was killed "by those who celebrated with us in Damascus after the fall of the al-Assad regime."

She said Suwayda came under a "barbaric attack targeting all Druze, including religious elders, women, children, and many of our educated young people, including doctors, engineers, and pharmacists, after they were subjected to identity-based killings.”

The 60-year-old accused Syrian government forces and tribal fighters of conducting killings of civilians, ethnic cleansing, sexual violence, the burning, destruction, and looting of private property, as well as kidnappings and arbitrary arrests.

Ghanem called on the international community and "the free people" of Syria to work toward holding all those responsible for the Suwayda massacre accountable and bringing them to justice "in fairness to the souls of hundreds of innocent victims."

Rania Abu Hassoun, another citizen, told Shafaq News that her only son, Daniel al-Harfoush, who lived in the United Arab Emirates, had been arrested on July 19, 2025, along with two of his cousins, adding that he returned to Suwayda to visit his family before the violence erupted.

According to Abu Hassoun, an unidentified group later contacted the family and demanded a ransom in exchange for his release. After the family transferred the requested payment, the kidnappers informed them that he had been handed over to Syria's General Security forces.

“The family has been unable to contact him since his abduction a year ago.” However, former detainees released later told them that her son and his cousins were being held at Adra Prison, a detention facility near Damascus.

In March, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria issued a report on the "brutal violence" that engulfed Suwayda in July 2025, notifying that more than 1,700 people were killed and nearly 200,000 were displaced from their homes.

According to the commission, those killed included 1,190 Druze men, 99 women, 22 boys, and 31 girls. Among the Bedouin community, 53 men, nine women, five boys, and three girls were killed. Most victims were civilians or people not participating in hostilities at the time.

"The scale and brutality of the documented violence and violations in Suwayda are deeply disturbing," Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, chair of the commission, said in a statement, adding, "There is an urgent need for expanded efforts to ensure accountability for all perpetrators, regardless of affiliation or rank.”

The commission documented executions, torture, sexual violence, and widespread house burnings, among other human rights violations, noting that the abuses could amount to war crimes and, if additional legal elements are established through further investigations, could also constitute crimes against humanity.

In turn, the Syrian Ministry of Justice has announced the findings of the National Commission of Inquiry into the Suwayda events, which was established in August 2025 to investigate the violence and clashes in the province. Based on the final report, submitted in March 2026, 23 members of the Syrian security forces and military were suspended after determining their involvement in abuses. The suspects were referred to a military court, and the second public hearing in the case was held in Damascus on Monday.

“Legal proceedings cover all those implicated, including military personnel, civilians and tribal members, without exception,” the report said.

Read more: Beyond Syria's escalation: A look at the Druze communities across the Middle East