On Sunday, September 14, 2025, residents found the body of Wael Thabet Abbar, a native of the city of Darayya, west of Rif Dimashq Governorate, who worked in the Internal Security Forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior of the transitional government. The body bore signs of gunshot wounds to the head. The area is under the control of the transitional government.
According to what the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented through reliable local sources, a video clip circulated showing unknown gunmen shooting Wael directly, resulting in his immediate injury and death.
We are continuing our investigations, including reviewing and collecting more evidence and information. Therefore, we hope that anyone with information or details related to this incident will provide it to us via our official email address: [email protected]
Legal Conclusions:
- The discovery of the victim’s body bearing traces of gunshot wounds, without any recorded armed conflict, arrest warrant, or any judicial procedure, indicates the possibility of 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.
- Since the area is under the control of the transitional government, the occurrence of this crime within its jurisdiction without preventative measures constitutes a failure to fulfill 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.
Recommendations of the Syrian Network for Human Rights:
- Open a prompt, impartial, and transparent criminal investigation to identify those responsible for Wael Abbar’s killing, with the involvement of independent criminal experts, and make the results of the investigation public.
- The transitional government will assume its security responsibilities by activating monitoring and response mechanisms to protect civilians in rural areas and intensifying patrols in areas with civilian activity.
- Provide urgent compensation to the families of victims, including material and moral support, as well as psychological and social support for their families, as victims of extrajudicial killings.
- Establish a database of unidentified killings and enforced disappearances to identify patterns and facilitate future legal accountability procedures within the framework of legal justice.
