On Thursday, November 20, 2025, Hala Diab, a resident of the Wadi Akrama neighborhood in Homs, was killed when unknown gunmen opened fire on a Suzuki vehicle she was traveling in with her husband as they left their home in the neighborhood. Both were wounded, and Hala died instantly. The perpetrators remain unidentified at the time of this report. The area is under government control.
We are continuing our investigation, including reviewing and gathering further evidence and information. We urge anyone with information or details related to this incident to contact us via our official email address: [email protected]
Legal Conclusions:
- The killing of Hala Diop by direct gunfire from unidentified gunmen, without any legal justification or engagement, constitutes an extrajudicial killing and a grave violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that the right to life is inherent to every human being and that no one may be arbitrarily deprived of it.
- Indiscriminate gunfire by an armed group not under official control in a civilian area constitutes a failure to fulfill the State’s obligations to protect civilians and security personnel outside of combat and security operations, which violates the “duty to protect” principle binding on de facto authorities under international law.
- The fact that the gunmen are unidentified does not diminish the Transitional Government’s responsibility for maintaining security. The inability to contain civil conflicts or the conduct of local armed groups undermines the rule of law.
- If the perpetrators are not identified and prosecuted, this reinforces a pattern of impunity, weakens public confidence in justice, and creates a dangerous environment for the recurrence of such crimes.
Recommendations of the Syrian Network for Human Rights:
- Launch an urgent, impartial, and transparent investigation, under the supervision of independent judicial authorities, to uncover the circumstances of the crime and identify the perpetrators, while ensuring the protection of witnesses and the documentation of evidence.
- The Syrian government must protect public facilities and areas, including deploying security checkpoints, activating surveillance systems, and tightening oversight of unofficial armed groups.
- Prosecute all those criminally involved, including any local parties or groups that participated in the shooting, and bring them to fair and public trials that guarantee the rights of the victims and their families.
- Provide material and moral compensation to the victim’s family, in accordance with international standards for reparations.
- Launch a local awareness campaign on respecting the rule of law and rejecting the indiscriminate use of weapons, with the participation of local community leaders, to combat irregular armament and tribal violence.
