On Friday, August 8, 2025, Ahmed Ghassan al-Sallal, a resident of the al-Tahtuh neighborhood in Deir ez-Zor, died after being hit by a stray bullet during celebrations marking the release of basic education results. It should be noted that the area is under the control of the transitional government.
According to preliminary information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from reliable local sources, Ahmed was shot by a random bullet from an unknown source while he was in front of his home. He was subsequently transferred to the city’s National Hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
Legal Conclusions:
- This incident reflects a failure to regulate the possession and storage of weapons in civilian areas. This contradicts the state’s duty to take preventative measures against the possession of weapons inside homes and civilian residential areas, as well as international principles related to community security.
- The uncontrolled presence of firearms in civilian residential areas reflects a disturbing spread of a gun culture within residential environments, threatening public safety and highlighting the absence of serious policies to control weapons and restrict them to official institutions.
- Although the death was caused by a stray bullet, the transitional government bears part of the responsibility for regulating the proliferation of weapons, educating the population about their dangers, and controlling the environment for their civilian use.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Enact and implement strict legislation regulating the possession of weapons, prohibiting their presence in homes and residential areas without clear licenses and conditions, including safe storage, and criminalizing negligence in handling weapons.
- Implementing extensive community awareness campaigns, in cooperation with civil society organizations, to educate families about the dangers of weapons inside homes and residential areas, and the need to report unsafe possession.
- Strengthening control over the circulation of individual weapons by establishing periodic inspection mechanisms and a national registry of weapon holders in areas under the control of the transitional government.
- Launch community-based child protection programs that combine awareness-raising in schools and community centers, and engage parents in fostering a safe environment for children at home.
- Authorities bear legal responsibility for any negligence that results in civilian death or injury, and must take clear criminal action against those who violate gun ownership laws or cause their misuse within residential areas.
