On Friday, June 27, 2025, 12-year-old Maimoun Abbas Mohsen, from the village of Sharqaliyah in the western countryside of Homs Governorate, was killed and two other children were injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on them in the village. The identity of the perpetrators remains unknown at the time of publication. The area is under the control of the transitional government.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from local sources, two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire indiscriminately on a group of children in front of a shop in the village of Sharqaliyah, killing the child, Maimoun, and wounding two other children from the same village. SNHR is still collecting eyewitness accounts to verify the circumstances of the incident and fully document it.
Legal Conclusions
- The killing of the child, Maimoun Mohsen, and the injury of two other children 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.
- The injury of two children as a result of indiscriminate gunfire constitutes a violation of Article 9 of the same Covenant, which guarantees the security and physical integrity of individuals and imposes on the authorities the duty to prevent such attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
- Indiscriminate shooting by an armed group not subject to official oversight in a vital civilian area constitutes a failure to fulfill the state’s obligations to protect civilians, contravening the principle of the “duty to protect” binding on de facto authorities under international law.
- The fact that the gunmen are unknown does not diminish the transitional government’s responsibility to maintain security. The inability to contain civil conflicts or the behavior of local armed groups impacts the enforcement of 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.
Recommendation by SNHR
- Open 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 witness protection and documenting evidence.
- The transitional government must protect vital areas, including by deploying security checkpoints, activating surveillance devices, and tightening control over unofficial armed groups.
- Criminally 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 victims and their families.
- Provide material and moral compensation to the families of the victims, and ensure that the injured 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.
