On Sunday, June 15, 2025, unknown gunmen kidnapped Youssef Hassan Al-Asfar, a former head of the Hama Chamber of Commerce and a businessman from the city. He was intercepted near the Bilal Al-Habashi Mosque roundabout in Hama.
According to what the Syrian Network for Human Rights obtained from reliable local sources, at 1:26 a.m. on Sunday, an armed group consisting of four cars bearing Jarablus-Aleppo license plates intercepted his car near the Bilal al-Habashi Mosque roundabout in the city while he was heading home, forcing him to stop. They then kidnapped him and his driver, Hassan al-Masry, and took them to an unknown location. Several hours later, the kidnappers released Hassan after taking him out of the city. Youssef’s fate remains unknown, with neither the party responsible for his kidnapping nor the reasons behind the incident known. His family confirmed that they had lost contact with him since the incident, raising growing concerns about his fate.
It should be noted that the area where the kidnapping occurred is under the control of transitional government forces. The network is still working to gather eyewitness accounts to verify and fully document the circumstances of the incident.
Legal Conclusions:
- The abduction of a civilian by armed men and their taking to an unknown location without disclosing their whereabouts or fate, and without allowing their family to contact them, constitutes enforced disappearance, even if the party responsible is not clearly identified.
- The unlawful deprivation of liberty through abduction and the absence of judicial proceedings violates Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.
- Given the seriousness of the conditions of unlawful detention and the absence of any judicial oversight or safeguards, there is concern for the safety of the abductee, which constitutes a direct threat to their right to life and physical and psychological integrity, guaranteed under Articles 6 and 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
- The continued occurrence of kidnappings without identifying or prosecuting those responsible perpetuates a climate of impunity, threatening to increase the incidence of these violations.
- The transitional government bears the legal responsibility to protect civilians and reveal the fate of the abducted person, even if it is not the party that carried out the kidnapping.
Recommendations by SNHR
- Launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the kidnapping incident, under the supervision of an independent body, and work to determine the victim’s location and fate, while taking all necessary measures to ensure his safety and return to his family.
- Publish the results of the investigation to the public, and clarify the steps taken by the authority controlling the area to uncover the circumstances of the incident and hold the perpetrators accountable. This will contribute to strengthening confidence in justice and the rule of law.
- Strengthen protection mechanisms in areas outside central control by monitoring armed groups, preventing any illegal activities, and activating local and international oversight.
- Providing psychological and legal support to the abductee’s family, and appointing an official contact person to enable the family to follow up on the abductee’s case and receive updates on the investigation.
- Launching civil awareness campaigns to combat the culture of extrajudicial abduction, encouraging families to report cases, and ensuring protection for survivors and witnesses.
