On Friday, May 2, 2025, a civilian, Majid Hamza, known as Abu Safi, from the town of Rasas in the southern suburbs of Suwayda Governorate, died of serious injuries he sustained as a result of mortar shelling that targeted the town two days earlier.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from reliable local sources, the town of Rasas was subjected to indiscriminate shelling on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, with mortar shells and heavy machine guns by armed groups, whose affiliation SNHR was unable to determine at the time of this writing. One of the shells fell near the home of Majid Hamza, severely injuring him as a result of shrapnel. He died as a result of the wounds he sustained two days later. SNHR is still collecting eyewitness testimonies to verify the circumstances of the incident and fully document it.
SNHR notes that since the end of April, Suwayda Governorate has witnessed security tensions and an escalation in violence, including intermittent clashes between local armed factions from the governorate and other armed groups, most of whom come from the region of Bedouin tribes.
Legal Conclusions
• The killing of the civilian Majeed Hamza by indiscriminate shelling by armed groups constitutes an extrajudicial killing and a grave violation of international law.
• Indiscriminate shelling by an armed group not subject to official control in a civilian area is an indication of the state’s failure to fulfill its obligations to protect civilians, which contravenes the principle of the “duty to protect” binding on de facto authorities under international law.
• The likelihood that the militants belong to local clans does not diminish the transitional government’s responsibility to maintain security. Indeed, the failure to contain civil conflicts or the behavior of local armed groups constitutes a direct failure to enforce the rule of law.
• If the perpetrators are not identified and prosecuted, this reinforces a pattern of impunity, undermines civilian confidence in justice, and creates a dangerous environment for the recurrence of these crimes.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Launching an urgent, impartial, and transparent investigation, under the supervision of independent judicial authorities, to uncover the circumstances of the incident and identify the perpetrators, while ensuring witness protection and documenting evidence.
- Hold the transitional government fully responsible for protecting civilian areas and preventing the use of heavy weapons. This includes deploying security checkpoints, activating surveillance equipment, tightening oversight of unofficial armed groups, and restricting weapons to state military and security institutions.
- Criminally prosecute all those involved, including any parties or local groups involved in the shooting and shelling, and bring them to public and fair trials that protect the rights of victims and their families.
- Provide material and moral compensation to the victim’s family and ensure that those affected by this attack receive medical care and psychological support, as part of reparations in accordance with international standards.
- Launch a local awareness campaign on respect for the rule of law and the rejection of random weapons, with the participation of local community leaders, to combat irregular armament and tribal violence.
