Munther Othman al-Salamat, a 57-year-old judge from al-Hrak city in the eastern suburbs of Daraa governorate, was shot dead on May 16, 2023, by gunmen we have not yet been able to identify in front of his house in Izra city in northern Daraa governorate.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) notes that Judge al-Salamat held the position of advisor to the Misdemeanor Appeal Court in Daraa city, as well as serving as the Chief Judge of the court in al-Hrak City. His home was previously targeted in an armed attack a month ago by so-far unidentified gunmen who also set his car on fire.
The area is under the control of Syrian regime forces. SNHR is still trying to locate eyewitnesses to obtain more information about the incident. We call on the controlling forces to uphold their responsibilities for protecting civilians in their areas, to investigate this incident, and to make the findings of the investigation known to the public. Syria will never have true stability without a genuine political transition process towards democracy within a fixed timetable.
