Overview
- A court in Aleppo opened proceedings after a months-long state investigation into the March clashes.
- Fourteen defendants appeared, split between seven former Assad loyalists and seven members of the new security forces.
- Prosecutors listed charges including fomenting civil war, secession, premeditated murder and looting, with questioning over killings of civilians and militia activity.
- Independent reporting and a government review have attributed nearly 1,500 Alawite deaths between March 7 and 9 to security forces, following a pro-Assad rebellion that allegedly killed 200 personnel.
- Officials say trying security personnel was previously unheard of in Syria and present the case as a signal of a break from secretive rule, with outcomes still pending.