DAMASCUS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Syria opened Tuesday its first public trial sessions for suspects accused of committing sectarian-driven violations during deadly unrest in the country's coastal region earlier this year, state media said.
The proceedings, held at the Palace of Justice in Aleppo, included defendants facing charges of inciting sectarian strife, theft, and assaulting members of the Internal Security Forces and the Syrian army, according to the state-run SANA news agency.
The trials come eight months after violence swept parts of the coastal provinces, killing more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians. An authorities-appointed fact-finding committee later said it documented serious violations committed by remnants of the former government and members of the current security services.
On Monday, the state-run Ikhbariya TV channel quoted committee spokesman Yasser al-Farhan as saying that 563 suspects had been referred to the judiciary in line with national laws and international standards. He said Tuesday's session was expected to include either a formal indictment or a preliminary decision by the investigating judge.
Al-Farhan said the judiciary would determine what information could be released immediately and what would be made public later. The justice authorities said the hearings will remain open to the public.
The coastal unrest followed a wide-scale military operation launched on March 6 by the Syrian defense authorities and public security forces in the provinces of Latakia and Tartous. State media said the operation began after a local armed group attacked an Internal Security Forces patrol in the Latakia countryside as officers attempted to arrest a suspect wanted on weapons charges. ■
