Sheikh Talal Abdullah al-Khater, the imam of al-Musalla Mosque and the official in charge of the Waqf ‘Endowments’ affairs for the Syrian regime’s government in his home city of al-Mayadeen in eastern Deir Ez-Zour governorate, died on April 2, 2024, of wounds sustained on March 16, 2024, when he was shot by gunmen we have not yet been able to identify from a passing motorbike in al-Jaradeeq area in the city. Following the shooting, Talal was transferred to Damascus city for treatment where he died. The area is under the control of Syrian regime forces.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) notes that the victim was the victim of some harassments by regime personnel a few days before the incident according to some residents.
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 investigation’s findings known to the public. Syria will never have true stability without a genuine political transition process towards democracy within a fixed timetable.
