Syrian human rights activists have renewed calls for an independent investigation into the violence that erupted last month in Suweida, a predominantly Druze province, following the release of a video on Sunday showing armed individuals, believed to be government forces, killing a volunteer paramedic in a hospital.
The week-long violence, which began on July 13, started with clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes in Suweida. The situation quickly escalated with the intervention of government security forces, resulting in approximately 1,400 deaths, many of them Druze civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Syrian authorities claimed their forces intervened to stop the clashes between Druze and Bedouin groups. However, eyewitnesses, Druze factions, and SOHR accused the forces of siding with the Bedouin and committing violations against the Druze, including field executions, as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Previously circulated videos showed horrific abuses, some depicting civilians being killed by individuals in military or security uniforms. On Sunday, the local outlet Suweida 24 published surveillance footage from Suweida’s main hospital, dated July 16, showing a group of people, seemingly hospital staff, kneeling in a corridor. The video showed armed individuals, most in military attire and one in internal security forces’ uniform, standing over them. A brief altercation occurred between an armed individual and a man identified by Suweida 24 as a volunteer with the hospital’s medical staff. The armed men then shot the man and dragged his body away, leaving bloodstains on the floor.
The Syrian authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, the Ministry of Interior issued a statement on Facebook, describing the video as “painful” and condemning the act “in the strongest terms.” The ministry added, “We confirm that the perpetrators will be held accountable and referred to the judiciary to receive just punishment, regardless of their affiliations.” It further stated that Major General Abdul Qader Al-Tahan, Assistant for Security Affairs, was tasked with overseeing the investigation to ensure the swift apprehension of the culprits.
A 30-year-old man who appeared in the video told AFP over the phone that he had responded to a hospital staff call for volunteers on July 16. A doctor at the hospital, speaking anonymously, confirmed the footage was filmed inside the facility.
SOHR also shared the footage, describing it as a “horrific field execution” carried out by members of the Ministries of Defense and Interior. The observatory called for accountability and the formation of a neutral, international investigation committee to examine the violence in Suweida.
Fadel Abdul Ghani, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, urged immediate action from authorities and called on the UN committee tasked with investigating human rights violations in Syria to probe the abuses committed by all parties in Suweida. In a post on X, he dismissed the Syrian authorities’ investigation committee, formed last month, as lacking “acceptance and credibility.”
Mohammad Al-Abdullah, executive director of the Justice and Accountability Center, stressed that UN investigators “must enter Suweida immediately,” highlighting the need to protect medical workers under international law. Others, including prominent Syrian Druze musician Samih Shuqair, who strongly opposed ousted President Bashar al-Assad, took to social media to demand accountability. Shuqair stated, “In a state that respects itself, a single documented video of such crimes would be enough to bring down a government.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
