On Monday, May 12, 2025, the two civilians, Musa Jumaa Yaqoub and Ali Hussein Hamada, both from the town of Zahraa in the northern suburbs of Aleppo Governorate and residents of the town of Sayyida Zeinab in Rif Dimashq Governorate. Their bodies were found near the Lebanese borders in Zabadani area, west of Rif Dimashq Governorate. The area is under the control of the transitional authorities in Syria. Gunshot wounds were found on their bodies.
SNHR continues to investigate the circumstances of the incident and gather more information. It has not yet been able to identify the party responsible for the killing.
Legal Conclusions
- The discovery of the bodies of the two victims bearing gunshot wounds, without any record of an armed clash, arrest warrant, or any judicial process, indicates the possibility of their being subjected to extrajudicial executions. This constitutes a flagrant violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to life.
- Since the area is under the control of the transitional government, the occurrence of this crime within its scope without preventive measures constitutes a failure to implement the state’s duty to protect the right to life and personal security, which violates the principle of the “duty to protect” that obliges authorities to prevent violations in areas under their control.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Launch an urgent, impartial, and transparent criminal investigation to identify those responsible for the killing of Musa Juma Yaqoub and Ali Hussein Hamada, with the involvement of independent forensic experts, and make the results of the investigation public.
- The transitional government is assuming its security responsibilities by activating monitoring and response mechanisms to protect civilians in rural areas and intensifying patrols in areas with civilian activity.
- Providing urgent compensation to the victims’ families, including material and moral support, as well as psychological and social support for their families, as they are victims of extrajudicial killing.
- Establish a database of unidentified killings and enforced disappearances to identify patterns and facilitate future legal accountability measures, within the legal justice framework.
