On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, two siblings, identified as Ali and Muawiyah Hassan Ajaj from al-Mzayreeb town in western rural Daraa governorate who worked at the General Security Directorate (affiliated with the Ministry of Interior of the Syrian transitional government), were shot dead by unidentified gunmen at a livestock market in al-Mzayreeb town. The area is under the control of the current transitional authorities in Syria.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) from reliable local sources, the Ajaj brothers were fighters with armed opposition factions prior to the reconciliation agreement that took place in Daraa governorate in mid-2018, at which point they agreed to settle their security situation with the former Assad regime. The sources indicate that the two continued their activities following the agreement as part of local armed groups affiliated with the Central Committee, which negotiated at the time with the Assad regime. They later joined the General Security Directorate
This incident constitutes an extrajudicial killing that was carried out without any legal process and represents a violation of international human rights law. As they were not participating directly in hostilities at the time of the incident, they are considered civilians and are entitled to the protections granted under international law.
SNHR calls on the Syrian transitional government to assume its responsibilities by launching a transparent and independent investigation to uncover the circumstances of the crime and bring those responsible to justice. Doing so would contribute to curbing extrajudicial killings and the targeting of civilians and public servants.
SNHR must also stress that achieving stability in Syria requires the strengthening of the rule of law and support for efforts toward justice and accountability to ensure that perpetrators do not escape punishment, and to advance the building of a state that respects human rights and protects the lives of its citizens.
