A military criminal court in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo has handed down death sentences to two supporters of the ousted Bashar al-Assad regime for allegedly inciting an uprising last year. The rulings underscore the profound instability, severe sectarian fractures, and ongoing security challenges plaguing the country following years of devastating conflict.

According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), defendants Al-Waddah Ismail and Maher Ali were convicted of attempting to instigate civil war and sectarian strife, as well as leading armed gangs to target public security forces. A third individual, Maher Othman, received a 12-year prison sentence, though the court did not immediately disclose the specific charges against him.

In separate rulings, the court sentenced Mohammed Bakour, a member of the new government’s Defence Ministry 82nd Division, to 20 years in prison for intentional homicide. This development marks the unprecedented first instance of personnel linked to the current administration being put on trial for acts of violence against civilians, highlighting systemic accountability issues.

The legal proceedings stem from a government committee investigation into a wave of violence in March of the previous year across predominantly Alawite coastal regions, which reportedly left at least 1,426 people dead, mostly civilians. The committee documented extensive atrocities, including premeditated murder, torture, and destruction of property, noting that subsequent military reinforcements allegedly engaged in widespread revenge killings.

Source: www.aljazeera.com