On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, members of the transitional government’s internal security forces arbitrarily arrested civilian Rani Mohammed Jumaa al-Masalma, a native of Daraa, during a raid in the city.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from reliable local sources, Internal Security forces arrested “Rani” in the Al-Hamadin neighborhood in the city’s Tariq al-Sadd district, without presenting any official legal warrant or court order justifying the raid and arrest. The sources also confirmed that he was taken to one of the organization’s detention centers in Daraa. At the time of writing, the reasons for the arrest remain unknown.
Legal Conclusions:
- Rani Al-Masalmeh’s arrest without a warrant, charges, or informing her family of her whereabouts constitutes arbitrary detention according to the definition of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and constitutes a direct violation of Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- Failure to inform the detainee of the reason for his arrest and denying him access to a lawyer or his family violates the basic guarantees of a fair trial, as stipulated in Articles 9 and 14 of the Covenant, and constitutes a form of unlawful detention.
- Rani Al-Masalmeh’s arrest on a civilian road without any prior legal procedures constitutes an abuse of security and military authority and restricts the right to freedom of movement and safe travel within areas under the authority of the transitional government.
- The continuation of such cases without transparent investigations or accountability for those responsible reinforces the climate of impunity and threatens to perpetuate a culture of arbitrary detention as a tool for pressure and extortion in the absence of effective judicial oversight. • As the area is under the control of the transitional government, it bears direct responsibility for the actions of its security and military agencies, including any human rights violations that fall within its effective control.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Immediately reveal Rani Al-Masalmeh’s fate, ensure his physical and psychological safety, and enable his family to communicate with him.
- Immediately release him unless legally proven charges are brought, and ensure that he is brought to a fair trial before an independent judicial authority that meets the requirements of justice.
- Open an administrative and judicial investigation into the incident to hold accountable the individuals who carried out the unlawful arrest. Publish the results of the investigation to ensure transparency.
- Activate oversight at checkpoints and security sites, and establish strict legal controls for arrests and temporary detentions, including training on respect for international human rights standards.
- Provide financial and moral compensation to detainees and their families if the unlawfulness of their detention is proven, within the framework of reparations stipulated in international law.
