On Friday, August 8, 2025, local residents found the body of Hassan al-Baaj, a 25-year-old man from the city of al-Tall, north of Rif Dimashq Governorate, near the town of al-Dreij, an area under the control of the transitional government. A burn mark was found on his body.
According to information obtained by the Syrian Network for Human Rights from reliable local sources, Hassan al-Baj was kidnapped on Sunday, August 3, 2025, from his mobile phone shop in the city of al-Tall. The kidnappers were armed, driving a silver Hyundai Santa Fe without a license plate, wearing masks and black clothing, and claiming to be members of the Internal Security Forces.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights continues to investigate the circumstances of the incident and gather more information. As of this writing, the identity of the party responsible for the crime has not been confirmed.
Legal Conclusions:
- The discovery of the victim Hassan al-Baaj’s body bearing gunshot wounds after he was abducted from his workplace, without any recorded armed conflict, arrest warrant, or judicial proceedings, indicates the possibility of his being subjected to extrajudicial execution. This constitutes a flagrant violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to life.
- The disappearance of a victim for several days without knowing their fate, and then their being found murdered, constitutes a form of enforced disappearance, which is prohibited under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
- Given that the area is under the control of the transitional government, the occurrence of this crime within its jurisdiction without preventive measures constitutes a failure to implement the state’s duty to protect the right to life and personal security. This violates the principle of the “duty to protect,” which obliges authorities to prevent violations in areas under their control.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ recommendations:
- Initiate an urgent, impartial, and transparent criminal investigation to identify those responsible for the killing of Hassan al-Baj, with the involvement of independent forensic experts, and make the investigation’s findings public.
- The transitional government must assume its security responsibilities by activating monitoring and response mechanisms to protect civilians in rural areas and intensifying patrols in areas with active civilian activity.
- Providing urgent compensation to the victim’s family, including financial and moral support, as well as psychological and social support for his family, as he is a victim of extrajudicial killing.
- Establishing a database of unidentified killings and enforced disappearances to identify patterns and facilitate future legal accountability procedures within the framework of legal justice.
