Homs Governorate confirmed that calm had returned to Palmyra (Homs governorate, central Syria), after the tension and clashes the city witnessed on the evening of Monday, June 15, when a demonstration was subjected to provocative attacks that included random gunfire and mutual stone throwing, causing injuries and material damage, according to the governorate’s account.

Eight people were injured in local clashes in the city after a demonstration in the public square developed into widespread security tension, according to the Homs Media Directorate.

The governorate said in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 16, that security forces intervened immediately to contain the situation, impose stability, and protect citizens and property, while legal procedures against those involved continue.

Governor Murhaf al-Naasan pledged that the rights of victims are a fixed obligation for the state until transitional justice is achieved.

He stressed that the rule of law, security, and stability are the guarantee for achieving justice, holding perpetrators of violations accountable, and preserving the rights of martyrs and the blood of innocents.

The governorate called on the people of Palmyra to show “awareness and national responsibility, and not be dragged behind any attempts to exploit legitimate demands and pull the city toward chaos.”

The director of Palmyra Hospital had reported that the injured were taken to the hospital to receive first aid, with treatment for some cases to be completed in hospitals in Homs, while the events caused material damage that included burning two commercial shops and a residential home.

Material Damage and Notables Take Action

Local Facebook pages in Palmyra circulated videos showing fires being set to several properties inside the city.

The pages referred to what they described as an unprecedented field escalation, with protesters setting fire to homes, cars, and properties they said belonged to people accused of links to the former regime in several neighborhoods of the city, amid security tension and alert in the area.

Authorities announced the detention of several people they said were involved in throwing stones and attacking protesters and security personnel, while security forces continued to deploy in the city to control the situation.

In the same context, local sources said city notables had begun efforts to hold meetings aimed at calming the tension and containing its repercussions.

Part of a Broader Movement

The events in Palmyra come within the context of a broader movement witnessed in several Syrian governorates in recent days.

In Deir Ezzor, representatives of the protesters announced the suspension of the “al-Karama” sit-in five days after it began, after receiving official promises to respond to demands related to holding perpetrators of violations accountable, achieving greater transparency in justice and accountability files, and other service-related and rights demands.

These movements also extended from Aleppo to Idlib, the Damascus countryside, and Raqqa, alongside the return of the issues of transitional justice and accountability for those involved in violations during the years of war to the forefront of public debate.

The demands included calls to hold figures suspected of links to the former regime accountable, remove those who had been within the army and security institutions, and prevent their reintegration, in addition to demands to end what protesters describe as “corruption and favoritism” inside state institutions.

Legal Questions Over the Nature of Accusations

At the same time, a legal and rights debate is emerging around these demands, especially regarding the use of broad labels such as “shabiha” and “remnants of the former regime,” and whether they are based on proven acts or on political or social accusations.

Legal expert in human rights and international criminal law, Almoutassim al-Kilani, previously told Enab Baladi that these terms do not carry a precise legal definition, and that responsibility under the law is based on acts proven by evidence, not on broad labels. He stressed that transitional justice is based on the principle of individual responsibility.

He noted that any accountability outside the framework of the judiciary could carry risks of violating individuals’ rights, especially if it relies on rumors or popular pressure instead of judicial evidence.

For his part, Syrian Network for Human Rights director Fadel Abdulghany previously told Enab Baladi that criminal responsibility is not built on affiliation or previous work within state institutions, but on direct participation in, incitement to, facilitation of, or cover-up of violations.

He warned that unilateral moves or calls for exclusion outside legal frameworks could violate the presumption of innocence and open the door to collective punishment or the targeting of people who are not actually involved.

Interior Ministry: Accountability Is the State’s Responsibility

The Syrian Ministry of Interior stressed in a statement that the path of justice and accountability for those involved is the exclusive responsibility of state institutions, calling for restraint and urging people not to be drawn into any acts of revenge or attacks outside the law.

The ministry said it is following what is happening in some areas and is dealing with any documented information about violations within legal procedures, warning that any action outside institutions could threaten security and stability and obstruct the path of justice.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba, during a press conference held in Damascus, reaffirmed that holding those involved in crimes and violations committed during the years of war accountable is an official commitment of the state, but that it will take place through a legal path based on evidence, investigations, and judicial rulings. He said popular demands for accountability reflect a legitimate desire to achieve justice, but that their implementation remains the responsibility of the competent state institutions, warning against turning demands for accountability into acts of revenge or collective accusations not based on evidence.