Amnesty International documented credible new evidence that Syrian government and government‑affiliated forces carried out extrajudicial executions of Druze civilians in Suwayda on 15–16 July. Verified videos, photos and eyewitness testimony show at least 46 people (44 men and two women) were deliberately killed in multiple locations including a public square, homes, a school, a hospital and a ceremonial hall. Some perpetrators wore military or security uniforms and, in several clips, displayed official insignia or operated from vehicles bearing Ministry of Interior markings; others wore plain clothes or black uniforms. Amnesty’s Evidence Lab verified 22 videos/photos and conducted weapons analysis; investigators interviewed 15 witnesses or relatives, some of whom saw executions or visited sites with victims’ bodies.
The incidents followed earlier clashes between Druze armed groups and Bedouin tribal fighters (11–12 July), Israeli strikes on Syrian forces (15 July), and a government operation to “restore stability” that included a curfew and the entry of government forces into Suwayda. Amnesty documented multiple filmed executions: groups shot in Tishreen (Khaldoun Zeinedine) square, three men forced to jump from a balcony and shot, and the killing of a man questioned about his religion at a public school. A medical worker, Mohammed Rafiq al‑Bahsas, was executed inside the national hospital in footage showing armed men, including individuals in General Security uniform, forcing medical staff to kneel before the killing.
Testimonies describe sectarian abuse—humiliations such as forcible shaving of moustaches—and summary killings at checkpoints and homes. Amnesty called for prompt, independent, impartial and transparent investigations and accountability without recourse to the death penalty. The organization also noted reports of abductions by Druze and Bedouin fighters under investigation, and on 31 July Syria’s Ministry of Justice formed a committee to probe violations. On 2 September 2025 the Syrian Ministry of Interior responded positively to Amnesty’s report and affirmed commitment to protecting all Syrians.
