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Lack of Accountability and Official Disregard for Investigation Results in the Harf Bnemra Crime
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The lack of transparency in dealing with documented murder crimes reflects the failure of Syria's interim caretaker government to apply transitional justice principles and protect citizens' rights
Official silence has continued regarding the fate of investigations into the perpetrators of the "Harf Bnemra" crime in rural Tartous, while families of victims of the Syrian coast events that occurred on March 7, 8, and 9 await the announcement of the fact-finding committee's results.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented in the "Harf Bnemra" incident, which took place on March 31, the killing of 6 civilians from the Alawite component, including the child Ibrahim and 5 other people, during a field execution documented on video, carried out by a group affiliated with one of the factions under the military operations administration.
Sources reported that the group responsible for the attack set out from the "Al-Disna" camp, a former base of the previous regime currently occupied by elements from the Defense and Interior Ministries, then carried out its attack in the village before returning to the same camp.
The Syrian Observatory sources explained that the attackers shouted sectarian slogans and made explicit threats before committing the crime. Following this, General Security forces arrested two members of the armed group involved in the mentioned crime in the "Al-Disna" area for investigation and prosecution.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights appealed to the leadership in Tartous province to transparently announce the investigation results and refer those involved to a public and fair trial, instead of merely "arresting then releasing" as has repeatedly happened in similar previous cases.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights demanded that the "Harf Bnemra" crime be handled with the same level of attention presumed in the ongoing investigations regarding the coastal events, given the seriousness of the crime and its sectarian nature, especially since it is documented with audio and video in a way that leaves no room for doubt or manipulation.
The Observatory affirmed that field executions that claimed the lives of children and unarmed civilians require the highest degrees of accountability, not obscurity and procrastination. It emphasized that the continued approach of impunity and overlooking crimes committed by armed factions represents a real threat to societal coexistence and increases the division within the Syrian fabric.
Observers believe that the official silence regarding the fate of the investigation with those involved in the Harf Bnemra crime, and the absence of any statements about results or judicial procedures, constitutes a negative signal to dozens of Syrian families waiting for justice, and reinforces the lack of confidence in the judicial system and security institutions.
