Crimes Against Humanity in Syria – 1: The Massacres Committed by the Assad Regime and the Nusayri Shabbiha

Since 2011, the Assad regime has committed systematic massacres, used chemical weapons, engaged in torture, and forcibly disappeared its own people—crimes that the vast majority of the international community has classified as “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes.” These crimes remain unpunished.

The Assad regime (the Syrian regime under the rule of Bashar al-Assad) has applied systematic and large-scale violence against its own people throughout the Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011, and even prior to that. The Nusayri Shabbiha gangs, together with the regime’s army and backed by Iran and Russia, have massacred the Syrian people for 14 years and committed systematic atrocities in torture centers. The main massacres and crimes against humanity documented by independent human rights organizations, the United Nations, and international courts are as follows:

Notable Massacres and Attacks (Chronological Summary)

– 1982 Hama Massacre (Hafez al-Assad era): The city was shelled to suppress the Muslim Brotherhood uprising. There are no official figures; estimates range from 20,000 to 40,000 civilian deaths.

– 2011–2012 Initial Period: Even during the early stages—before tanks and aircraft were used—hundreds of people were killed by sniper fire during peaceful demonstrations (Deraa, Hama, Homs).

– 2012–2013 Houla (Taldou) Massacre (May 25, 2012): 108 people (49 of them children) were executed at close range. According to a UN report, the Shabbiha (regime militias) and the army were largely responsible.

– 2013 Ghouta Chemical Massacre (August 21, 2013): More than 1,400 civilians were killed by sarin gas in Eastern Ghouta. UN and OPCW reports held the regime responsible.

– 2016–2018 Eastern Ghouta Siege and Massacres: 400,000 people were besieged for 5 years with starvation tactics and barrel bombs. In the final assault of 2018, thousands of civilians were killed and chemical weapons were used again (Douma attack: 70+ dead).

– 2016–2017 Siege and Bombing of Eastern Aleppo Neighborhoods: Over 2,000 civilians were killed in four months, and hospitals were systematically targeted. A joint regime-Russia operation.

– Khan Sheikhoun Chemical Attack (April 4, 2017): 89 civilians (32 children) were killed by sarin gas. The OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism found the regime responsible.

– 2019–2020 Idlib and Hama Offensives: Under the pretext of “de-terrorization,” civilian convoys, marketplaces, and hospitals were targeted. Over 1,500 civilians were killed, and more than 1 million people fled to the Türkiye border.

Documenting Organizations and Reports

– United Nations Human Rights Council – Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria (dozens of reports since 2011)

– Human Rights Watch (HRW) – “Archipelago of Torture in Syria” report

– Amnesty International – “You Die, I Die” (report on torture centers)

– Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) – As of 2025, the number of civilian deaths attributed to the regime: ~207,000

– Caesar Photos (53,000 images leaked in 2014): Evidence of systematic torture and executions in regime prisons

Numbers (as of 2025, approximate)

– Total war deaths: 600,000+

– Civilian deaths for which the regime is directly responsible: 200,000+

– Missing/dead in custody: 130,000+ (mostly in Sednaya Prison)

– Chemical weapons use: Over 300 documented attacks (OPCW)

Although the Assad regime has not been prosecuted at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, senior officials have been convicted in cases opened under the principle of “universal jurisdiction” in countries such as Germany, France, and Sweden (e.g., the Koblenz Trial). For instance, Enis Kanjo was sentenced to life imprisonment.

In short: Since 2011, the Assad regime has committed systematic massacres, used chemical weapons, engaged in torture, and forcibly disappeared its own people—acts that the vast majority of the international community has classified as “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes.” These crimes remain unpunished.