On Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Hassan Muhammad Sadiq al-Hassan and Hamza Muhammad Saleh Hammoud, both 19 years old and residents of al-Ghour al-Gharbiya village in the northwestern Homs countryside, were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire on them while they were at a poultry farm in Burj Qai village in the western Homs countryside. As of the time of this report, the perpetrators remain unidentified. It should be noted that the area is under the control of the Syrian government.
We are continuing our investigation, including reviewing and gathering further evidence and information. Therefore, we urge anyone with information or details related to this incident to provide them to us via our official email address: [email protected].
Legal Conclusions:
- The killing of Hassan al-Hassan and Hamza Hammoud by direct gunfire from unidentified gunmen, without any legal justification or engagement, constitutes extrajudicial killing and a grave 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 that no one may be arbitrarily deprived of it.
- Indiscriminate firing by an armed group not under official control in a civilian area constitutes a failure to fulfill the State’s obligations to protect civilians and security personnel outside of combat and security operations, which violates the “duty to protect” principle binding on de facto authorities under international law.
- The fact that the gunmen are unidentified does not diminish the Transitional Government’s responsibility for maintaining security. The inability to contain civil conflicts or the conduct of local armed groups undermines the rule of law.
- If the perpetrators are not identified and prosecuted, this reinforces the pattern of impunity, weakens public confidence in justice, and creates a dangerous environment for the recurrence of these crimes.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights Recommendations:
- Launch 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 Syrian government must protect public facilities and areas, including deploying security checkpoints, activating surveillance systems, and tightening oversight of unofficial armed groups.
- Prosecute all those criminally involved, including any local parties or groups that participated in the shooting, and bring them to fair and public trials that guarantee the rights of the victims and their families.
