On Saturday, November 22, 2025, local residents found the bodies of Taha Khalif and his wife, residents of the Kazu neighborhood in Hama, in farmland on the outskirts of the neighborhood. The bodies bore gunshot wounds. The area is under the control of the Syrian government.
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 discovery of the bodies of Taha Khalif and his wife, bearing gunshot wounds, without any record of an armed clash, arrest warrant, or any judicial proceedings, suggests the possibility of an extrajudicial execution, a flagrant violation of Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to life.
- Given that the area is under the control of the Syrian 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, contravening the principle of the “duty to protect,” which obligates authorities to prevent violations in areas under their control.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights recommends:
- Launch an urgent, impartial, and transparent criminal investigation to identify those responsible for the killing of Muwaffaq Haroun, with the participation of independent forensic experts, and publish the investigation’s findings for public review.
- The Syrian government must fulfill its security responsibilities by activating monitoring and response mechanisms to protect civilians in rural areas and intensifying patrols in areas with active civilian life.
- Provide immediate compensation to the victims’ families, including material and moral support, as well as psychological and social support, recognizing them as victims of extrajudicial killings.
- Establish a database of unsolved killings and enforced disappearances to identify patterns and facilitate future legal accountability within the framework of due process.
