Syria warns against vigilante justice amid rising anger over Assad-era figures

DAMASCUS – Syria's new authorities are facing mounting pressure to deliver justice for crimes committed under former president Bashar al-Assad, as demonstrations demanding accountability spread across the country while officials warn against acts of revenge and vigilante justice.

The Interior Ministry said on Monday that its Counter-Terrorism Directorate is holding nearly 6,000 former military and security personnel linked to the Assad era, including dozens of senior officers, underscoring what officials describe as an unprecedented accountability campaign since Assad's overthrow in December 2024.

The announcement came as protests were reported in Damascus, Aleppo, Idlib, Deir Ezzor, Raqqa and Hama, with demonstrators calling for those responsible for atrocities committed during the former regime's rule to face justice.

Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said accountability remained a core commitment of the new authorities but stressed that legal procedures, rather than revenge, must govern the process.

"The state categorically rejects turning the demand for accountability into an act of revenge," Baba told a press conference in Damascus.

He said justice must be pursued through evidence, due process and the courts, warning against arbitrary punishment and collective retribution.

The demonstrations reflect growing frustration among Syrians who suffered during a conflict that lasted more than a decade and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

"The state is late on accountability, so the people are holding (suspects) to account themselves," said Osama Othman, 38, who took part in a protest in the town of Al-Tal outside Damascus.

"There is no place for the shabiha or supporters of the old regime" in the new Syria, he added.

Rights groups and residents have reported increasing tensions in several regions, including attacks against individuals accused of ties to Assad's government. Videos circulating on social media have purportedly shown alleged former regime supporters being assaulted in Aleppo province, while notices threatening suspected former "shabiha" militiamen have appeared online and in some cities, including Latakia, the traditional heartland of the Assad family's Alawite community.

Against that backdrop, authorities are attempting to reassure the public that justice is being pursued while discouraging vigilantism.

Baba revealed details of several operations carried out by security services, including the dismantling of a security cell allegedly linked to former regime intelligence agencies. He said its members were involved in gathering intelligence and supplying targeting coordinates used in attacks against civilian areas in Idlib and Jisr al-Shughour.

Authorities also announced the arrest of Major General Ahmad Hijazi Hijazi, a former senior intelligence official, and said 12 officers connected to investigations into military hospitals had been detained, including a major general and six brigadiers.

The ministry said the Counter-Terrorism Directorate currently holds 5,989 detainees linked to the former regime.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa has repeatedly pledged accountability for crimes committed during the Assad era while cautioning against revenge. Last week, he warned that transitional justice should not be used as a pretext for settling scores.

The challenge facing Syria's new leadership is balancing public demands for justice with efforts to prevent fresh cycles of violence and retribution.

While many Syrians view accountability as essential to rebuilding the country after years of war, officials insist that establishing the rule of law rather than mob justice will be critical to the success of the post-Assad transition.