On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Salman Mahmoud Rakkab, a young man from the village of Arna in the Jabal al-Sheikh area west of Rif Dimashq, was killed when he was shot by unknown gunmen in the village. At the time of publication, the identity of the perpetrators was unknown. It should be noted that the area is under the control of the transitional government.
The network is still collecting eyewitness accounts to verify the circumstances of the incident and document it in full.
Legal conclusions:
• The killing of Salman Rukab by direct fire from unknown gunmen, without any legal justification or engagement, constitutes extrajudicial killing and a gross violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that the right to life is inherent to every human being, and no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of it.
• Random shooting by an armed group not subject to official control in a vital civilian area constitutes a failure to fulfill the state’s obligations to protect the civilian population, which violates the principle of the “duty to protect” binding on the de facto authorities under international law.
• The fact that the armed men 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 affects the enforcement of the rule of law.
• Failure to identify and prosecute the perpetrators reinforces a pattern of impunity, undermines civilians’ trust in justice, and creates a dangerous environment for the recurrence of such crimes.
Recommendations of the Syrian Network for Human Rights:
• 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 the protection of witnesses and the documentation of evidence.
• The transitional government should protect vital areas, including by deploying security checkpoints, activating surveillance devices, and tightening control over unofficial armed groups.
• Prosecute all those criminally involved, including any local parties or groups that participated in the shooting, and bring them to public and fair trials that guarantee the rights of the victims and their families.
• Provide material and moral compensation to the victim’s family and ensure that the injured receive medical care and psychological support, in accordance with international standards for reparations.
• Launch a local awareness campaign on respect for the rule of law and rejection of indiscriminate use of weapons, with the participation of local community leaders, to combat irregular armament and tribal violence.
