Arab News | Syrian court sentences 2 men to death over violent attacks

DUBAI: A military court in the Syrian Arab Republic’s city of Aleppo have sentenced two men to death and a third to 12 years in jail over violations linked to violence in the country’s coastal region, state news agency SANA reported on Thursday.

The Military Criminal Court convicted Wad­dah Ismail and Maher Ali of acts intended to incite civil war and sectarian fighting, as well as leading armed groups with the aim of attacking public forces.

A third defendant, Maher Othman, was convicted of complicity in both offenses and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The verdicts follow rulings issued by the court on Sept. 17 against four defendants accused of involvement in abuses during the violent incidents. One was sentenced to death, another to life imprisonment and a third to 20 years in prison, while the fourth was acquitted.

Public trials began at the Palace of Justice in Aleppo on Nov. 18, 2025, with the victims’ relatives in attendance. Subsequent hearings focused on reviewing evidence and examining the defendants’ legal arguments.

In a report published on July 22, 2025, a national commission investigating the events said remnants of the former Syrian regime had launched widespread attacks on army and security facilities on March 6, killing 238 personnel.

The commission also documented violations against civilians in the days that followed. It said its investigation found that the abuses were committed by individuals and small groups for varying motives, rather than as part of an organized, systematic campaign.