On Thursday, July 24, 2025, Ahmed Zuhair Khaddour, a native of the town of Karto in the Akkar Plain in the Tartous countryside, died after being assaulted by members of the transitional government’s internal security forces. It should be noted that the area is under the control of the transitional government.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from reliable local sources, members of the Internal Security Forces detained the brothers Ahmed and Ghatfan Zuhair Khaddour as well as Zakaria Eid Saqour assaulted them while they were returning to the town of Karto. Ahmed was subsequently hit in the chest with a rifle butt, which led to his death while being transferred to Al-Basel Hospital in Tartous. Sources confirmed that Ghatfan and Zakaria were released several hours after their detention.
We note that the Internal Security Directorate of the Transitional Government in Tartous Governorate issued a statement announcing that it would hold accountable the individuals involved in this incident and refer them to the competent judicial authorities.
Legal Conclusions:
- The beating of an unarmed civilian by a member of the Transitional Government’s Internal Security Forces while passing through a military checkpoint, without posing a direct threat, constitutes a grave violation of the right to life.
- The absence of a direct threat from Ahmed Khaddour toward the Internal Security Forces, and the use of lethal force in an uncontrolled manner, constitute an extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary killing, as defined by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions.
- The continuation of such incidents without transparent investigation or accountability fosters a climate of impunity and threatens to perpetuate a culture of arbitrary arrest and the use of excessive force as tools of coercion and abuse in the absence of effective judicial oversight.
- According to the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (1990), lethal force may only be used when strictly unavoidable and solely to protect life. Shooting or other violence in such a situation is unlawful and outside the scope of legal controls.
- Since the security forces are affiliated with the transitional government, responsibility for this violation lies with the security, military, and administrative authorities, both in terms of direct action and the lack of oversight and control over the conduct of field personnel.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Initiate an urgent and independent criminal investigation, including collecting evidence, interrogating personnel involved in the security operation, and determining individual responsibilities, in preparation for criminal accountability in accordance with fair trial standards.
- Prosecute all those involved in the killing and arrest, both administratively and legally, and make the investigation results public to promote transparency and accountability.
- Compensate the victim’s family financially and morally, and provide urgent psychological and social support, given the family’s fragile role in an unstable security environment.
- Restructure and train Ministry of Defense personnel, including training in accordance with human rights standards, regulating the rules of engagement, and not tolerating the use of violence or excessive force.
- Launching an early warning system to prevent the presence of civilians in security operations areas, through prior community outreach and coordination of efforts with local leaders.
