On Monday, May 12, 2025, Habib Badr al-Bahri, a native of the village of al-Maydan in the Qastal Ma’af district of the northern Latakia suburbs, was shot dead by unknown gunmen while he was on an agricultural road near his village. As of publication, the identity of the perpetrators remains unknown. The area is under the control of the transitional government.
According to what the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented from reliable local sources, Habib was shot by two gunmen riding a motorcycle while he was riding his motorcycle on the outskirts of his village in the Saraya village junction area. The gunmen shot him several times, and he died instantly. They then stole his motorcycle. The network is still collecting eyewitness testimonies to verify the circumstances of the incident and fully document it.
Legal Conclusions
The killing of Habib Badr al-Bahri by direct gunfire by unknown gunmen, without any legal justification or engagement, constitutes an extrajudicial killing and constitutes a grave violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which stipulates that the right to life is inherent in every human being and that no one may be arbitrarily deprived of it.
Indiscriminate shooting by an armed group not subject to official control in a civilian area is an indication of a 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 fact that the gunmen are unknown does not detract from the transitional government’s responsibility to maintain security. Rather, the failure to contain civil conflicts or the behavior of local armed groups constitutes a direct failure to enforce the rule of law.
If perpetrators are not identified and prosecuted, this reinforces the pattern of impunity, undermines civilian confidence in justice, and creates a dangerous environment for the recurrence of these crimes.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Launch an urgent, impartial, and transparent investigation, under the supervision of independent judicial authorities, to uncover the circumstances of the crime and identify the perpetrators, while ensuring the protection of witnesses and the documentation of evidence.
- Holding the transitional government fully responsible for protecting civilian areas, including deploying security checkpoints, activating surveillance devices, and tightening control over unofficial armed groups.
- Prosecute all those involved, including any parties or local groups involved in the shooting, and bring them to fair and public trials that guarantee the rights of the victims and their families.
- Providing material and moral compensation to the victim’s family, within the framework of redressing harm 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.
