Syria: UN rights chief urges accountability over Suweida killings

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Friday that his office had received credible reports of widespread human rights violations and abuses - including summary executions and arbitrary killings - amid recent violence in the southern Syrian city of Suweida.

His comments came as Syrian security forces began deploying across the volatile province, just hours after a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Syria took effect.

Turk warned that those allegedly responsible include members of Syria’s security forces, individuals affiliated with the interim government and armed elements from the local Druze and Bedouin communities.

"This bloodshed and the violence must stop," he said. "Those responsible must be held to account."

According to the UN human rights chief, the UN humanitarian office reported that nearly 2,000 families remain displaced due to the violence, while insecurity and road closures continue to block the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid to Suweida.

Turk noted that his office had documented the unlawful killing of at least 13 people on 15 July, stating that "armed individuals affiliated with the interim authorities deliberately opened fire at a family gathering".

He added, "On the same day, they reportedly summarily executed six men near their homes in two separate incidents."

He also reported an incident involving the public humiliation of a Druze man, which included the forcible shaving of his moustache- an important cultural symbol in the Druze community.

"My office has received accounts of distressed Syrians who are living in fear for their lives and those of their loved ones," Turk said. "The deployment of state security forces should bring safety and protection, not add to the fear and violence."

Turk called for "independent, prompt, and transparent investigations into all violations,” stressing that perpetrators must be held accountable in line with international standards. "It is crucial that immediate steps are taken to prevent recurrence of such violence. Revenge and vengeance are not the answer," he added.

He also expressed concern about reports of civilian casualties resulting from Israeli airstrikes in Suweida, Daraa, and central Damascus, including strikes on the defence ministry and an area near the presidential palace.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, at least 321 people- including six children and nine women- have been killed in Suweida since Sunday. Other estimates have put the number at over 600.

The Syrian Ministry of Interior has confirmed that security forces have begun deployments in the province, following an announcement from the Syrian presidency on Saturday declaring an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.

The government said the truce aims "to spare Syrian blood, preserve the unity of Syrian territory, and ensure the safety of its people".

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in a televised address, said he had received "international calls to intervene in what is happening in Suweida and restore security to the country".

Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba confirmed via Telegram that "internal security forces have begun deploying in Suweida province… with the aim of protecting civilians and putting an end to the chaos".

Recent sectarian clashes involving Druze and Bedouin armed groups, alongside government forces, have killed hundreds in recent days.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that around 80,000 people have fled the area.

Despite the ceasefire, violence continues to escalate in southern Syria.

Suweida’s Druze community initially welcomed the deployment of government forces following the weekend’s violence, however civilians, local monitors, and analysts have raised concerns that clashes broke out between some Druze fighters and security forces, amid reports of abuses committed by the latter.

Residents of the southern city said part of the growing distrust stems from the government’s failure to hold fighters accountable for either participating in or allowing the killing of hundreds of Alawites along Syria’s coast in March.

Reuters reported on Saturday that its journalists heard gunfire inside Suweida and saw shells striking nearby villages, though there were no immediate confirmed reports of casualties.

Israel has also been involved in the violence, conducting airstrikes on southern Syria and on the defence ministry in Damascus earlier this week, while Syrian government forces battled Druze fighters.

Israel has claimed it is acting to protect the Druze, a minority group that also has a significant presence within Israel. Damascus has accused Israel of attempting to sow instability in Syria and dividehe country.

On Friday, US envoy Tom Barrack announced that Israel and Syria had agreed to a ceasefire.

The US ambassador to Turkey and Syria jointly urged Druze, Bedouins, Sunnis, and other minority groups to "build a new and united Syrian identity".