On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Mustafa Bashar al-Halabi, a child from the city of Halfaya in the northern Hama countryside, died after being shot by a random gunshot from an unknown source while he was in Qudsaya, west of Rif Dimashq. The child died immediately. It should be noted that this area is under the control of the transitional government.
Legal Conclusions
- This incident reflects a failure to regulate the possession and storage of weapons in civilian areas. This contradicts the state’s duty to take preventative measures against the possession of weapons inside homes and civilian residential areas, as well as international principles related to community security.
- The uncontrolled presence of firearms in civilian residential areas reflects a disturbing spread of a gun culture within residential areas, threatening public safety and highlighting the absence of serious policies to control weapons and restrict them to official institutions.
- Although the death was caused by a stray bullet, the transitional government bears part of the responsibility for regulating the proliferation of weapons, educating the population about their dangers, and controlling the environment for their civilian use.
Recommendation by SNHR
- Enact and enforce strict legislation regulating the possession of weapons, prohibiting their presence within homes and residential areas without clear licenses and conditions, including safe storage, and criminalizing negligent handling.
- Implement extensive community awareness campaigns, in cooperation with civil society organizations, to educate families about the dangers of weapons within homes and residential areas, and the need to report unsafe possession.
- Strengthening control over the circulation of individual weapons, by establishing periodic inspection mechanisms and a national registry of weapon holders in areas controlled by the transitional government.
- Launching community protection programs for children, combining awareness-raising in schools and community centers, and involving parents in promoting a safe environment for children at home.
- Authorities bear legal responsibility for any negligence resulting in civilian death or injury and must take clear criminal action against anyone who violates gun laws or causes misuse within residential areas.
