FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 12, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) expresses deep concern over the ongoing disinformation campaign aimed at fueling sectarian tensions in Syria through false claims of systematic targeting of religious minorities—including Christians, Alawites, and Druze—by the Syrian government. These allegations, propagated by networks linked to the Assad regime, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, and amplified by certain media outlets, distort on-the-ground realities and obstruct genuine efforts to restore security and stability in the country.
On March 6, 2025, armed groups affiliated with the Assad regime and Iran launched coordinated attacks in coastal provinces, killing approximately 400 security personnel. The resulting instability created a security vacuum allowing rogue armed factions to commit serious violations against civilians, leading to an estimated 500 additional casualties.
Amid this unrest, several mixed-population areas experienced retaliatory violence, further complicating the security landscape. While some media reports have claimed systematic targeting of specific religious groups, field sources and religious leaders from various Syrian communities have confirmed that no organized campaigns of sectarian violence were conducted by the government. Instead, the violations were committed by undisciplined armed factions, while security forces were crucial in protecting civilians and restoring order amid attempts by Assad regime remnants to incite chaos and sectarian strife.
SETF condemns all acts of violence and extrajudicial killings, regardless of the perpetrators, and calls for justice for all victims. The organization also supports the Syrian government’s efforts to investigate the events through the National Committee for Investigation and Fact-Finding on the Coastal Events and the Higher Committee for the Preservation of Civil Peace. These committees represent a positive step toward uncovering the truth, holding perpetrators accountable, and preventing any political exploitation of these events to deepen divisions within Syrian society. SETF emphasizes the importance of ensuring transparency in the work of these committees by involving independent human rights organizations in the investigations. Such inclusivity will reinforce public trust in the justice process and strengthen national reconciliation efforts.
SETF urges all parties to exercise restraint, reject sectarian incitement and calls on media and the international community to verify information carefully, to avoid promoting misleading narratives that serve dubious agendas. The Syrian people seek a future of stability, security, and justice. SETF reaffirms its support for all efforts to achieve accountability, promote national reconciliation, and build a future rooted in equal citizenship—free from the conflicts and divisions of the past.
For inquiries, please contact:
Maria Cure, Director of Communications
[email protected] www.setf.ngo
About the Syrian Emergency Task Force
The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) is a Syrian-American 501(c)(3) headquartered in Washington, D.C. Dedicated to advancing Syria’s future after the fall of the Assad regime, SETF supports a democratic transition, leads humanitarian efforts, and works to secure justice and accountability for war crimes committed by the regime and its allies. Today, SETF stands as the most notable American organization working on Syria, as evidenced by the impact it has made both on the ground in Syria and the U.S. SETF serves as a resource for education by bringing the voices of the Syrian people to the international stage. From testimonies at the UN Security Council to local grassroots community fundraisers, the team brings together like-minded people who are committed to rebuilding a peaceful, democratic Syria after enduring years of brutality under a repressive dictatorship.