On Tuesday, May 13, 2025, unidentified gunmen kidnapped Dr. Hassan Muhammad Issa, a chest specialist from the village of Ain al-Karm in the western Hama countryside, on the main road near the village of Ma’araba in the Rif Dimashq governorate.
According to reliable local sources obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, an armed group abducted Dr. Hassan while he was returning from his workplace in Damascus to his home in the village of Ain al-Karm. The group took him to an unknown location, with neither the party responsible for his abduction nor the reasons behind the incident known. His family confirmed that they had lost contact with him since the incident, raising growing concerns about his fate.
It should be noted that the area where the abdution occurred is under the control of transitional government forces.
SNHR is still working to gather eyewitness accounts to verify and fully document the circumstances of the incident.
Legal Conclusions
- The abduction of Dr. Hassan by armed men and his subsequent taking to an unknown location without disclosing his whereabouts or fate, and without allowing his family to contact him, constitutes enforced disappearance, even if the party responsible is not clearly identified.
- The unlawful deprivation of liberty through abduction and the absence of judicial proceedings constitutes a violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.
- Given the dangerous conditions of unlawful detention and the absence of any judicial oversight or safeguards, there is concern for the safety of the abductee, which poses a direct threat to his right to life and physical and psychological integrity, guaranteed under Articles 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- The continued abductions without identifying or prosecuting those responsible reflects an institutional failure to provide legal protection to civilians and perpetuates a climate of impunity, threatening to increase the frequency of these violations.
- The transitional government bears the legal responsibility to protect civilians and reveal the fate of the abductee, even if it was not the party that carried out the abduction.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the kidnapping incident, under the supervision of an independent body, and work to determine the victim’s location and fate, while taking all necessary measures to ensure his safety and return to his family.
- Publish the results of the investigation to the public, and clarify the steps taken by the authority controlling the area to uncover the circumstances of the incident and hold the perpetrators accountable. This will contribute to strengthening confidence in justice and the rule of law.
- Strengthening protection mechanisms in areas outside central control by monitoring armed groups, preventing any illegal activities, and activating local and international oversight.
- Providing psychological and legal support to the families of the abducted person and appointing an official contact person to enable the family to follow up on the abductee’s case and receive updates on the progress of the investigation.
- Launching civil awareness campaigns to combat the culture of extrajudicial kidnapping and encourage families to report cases, while ensuring protection for survivors and witnesses.
