Attachments
Monthly Report for Victims of Extrajudicial Killing in Syria
The Death of 157 Civilian Including 20 Children and 11 Women, and One Death due to Torture Recorded in May 2025
Press release:
The Hague - The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) revealed in its latest report, released today, that 157 individuals were killed in Syria in May 2025, including 20 children, and 11 women, as well as one victim of death due to torture.
The 28-page report provides a summary of the deaths that occurred in May 2025, shedding light particularly on victims who died due to torture, as well as documenting the massacres perpetrated by the parties to the conflict and controlling forces in Syria during this period. The report also outlines the action taken by SNHR regarding the issue of documenting extrajudicial killings in Syria.
This report draws upon the SNHR team’s constant daily monitoring of news and developments in Syria, and on information supplied by our extensive network of dozens of varied sources, as well as on the analysis of pictures and videos.
The fatalities documented in this report are limited to the deaths that have been documented in the preceding month, April 2025. Some of these deaths may have taken place months or years previously and only been documented in this period, in which case these monthly reports list the date on which the death was officially documented, as well as the estimated date of death. The report also takes into consideration the effects of the historic events of December 8, 2024, and the fall of the Assad regime on areas of control and power in Syria.
Despite the Assad regime’s downfall, fatalities are still being documented at its hands in various forms, including killings by pro-Assad militias, the explosion of war remnant and cluster bomblets left by previous attacks carried by Assad regime forces, deaths resulting from landmines previously planted by Assad regime forces, and civilians dying of wounds sustained in attacks carried out by those forces.
The report documents 157 deaths in May 2025. Of this total 3 civilians were killing at the hands of the transitional government forces, while 3 civilians (including a child) were killed by Assad Regime forces. We also documented the killing of 3 civilians at the hands of the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF), and 4 civilians killed at the hands of the Israeli forces. The report recorded the death of 144 civilians, including 19 children and 11 women, at the hands of parties we were unable to identify.
The report noted that 15% of all victims were documented in Aleppo, Latakia, and Homs, followed by Hama governorate at around 12%, most of whom were killed at the hands of parties we were unable to identify.
This May, the report also recorded the killing of one media worker by gunshots by parties we were unable to identify, and three civil defense personnel as a result of the explosion of a landmine. As well as two massacres one was committed by gunshots by parties, we were unable to identify, the other was caused by bombings by unidentified parties.
The report added that SNHR documented eight attacks on civilian vital facility in May 2025. The attacks were concentrated in the governorates of Suwayda, Aleppo, and Hama. Three incidents were perpetrated by the Syrian Democratic Forces, three incidents whose perpetrators we were unable to identify, one incident by gunmen whose affiliation we were unable to determine, and one bombing whose perpetrators we were unable to identify.
The report indicated that, during May 2025, the Syrian Network for Human Rights documented the discovery of the bodies of four civilians from the same family who had been previously killed in locations suspected of being used as mass graves or hiding places for victims' bodies, such as water wells or abandoned buildings. Initial information indicates that these crimes occurred prior to the fall of the Bashar al-Assad Regime on December 8, 2024, and date back to various phases of the armed conflict in Syria.
Finally, the report outlined a number of conclusions and recommendations
Conclusions
1. Attacks on civilians and civilian objects: The evidence collected by SNHR indicates that most of the attacks documented in this report were deliberately directed against civilians, including the destruction of civilian facilities.
2. Landmines: A large proportion of the Syrians killed in February died as a result of landmine explosions, with none of the perpetrator forces involved in the Syrian conflict, past or present, issuing maps revealing the locations where landmines have been planted. This indicates a chilling total indifference by all parties to the lives of civilians, particularly children.
3. Indiscriminate bombing by SDF: The indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks carried out by the SDF are clearly violations of international humanitarian law, with the crimes of indiscriminate killing amounting to war crimes.
4. Remote bombings: The use of remote bombings to target densely populated areas reflects a criminal mindset intent on deliberately inflicting the greatest possible number of deaths, which is a clear contravention of international human rights law and a flagrant violation of the Geneva IV Convention on Civilians of 1949, Articles 27, 31, and 32.
5. Turkish forces have failed to respect the principle of proportionality, as prescribed in international law, in their attacks on SDF sites, which resulted in civilian casualties. Meanwhile, the SDF has violated international humanitarian law by stationing its personnel in civilian areas.
6. Continued lack of security oversight even after the regime change
Despite the downfall of the Assad regime, killings and armed attacks continue. This indicates that the transitional phase has yet to establish security and stability, underlining the imperative need for reforming and restructuring the security apparatus into a human rights-based, effective entity.
7. Ongoing patterns of violations linked to the post-conflict reality
April 2025 witnessed patterns of killings related to the misuse of weapons and drowning incidents resulting from migration. These reflect post-conflict challenges that require a different type of response, one that goes beyond documentation of violations to include prevention and community education.
Recommendations
These recommendations represent a practical roadmap for addressing the consequences of extrajudicial killings in Syria. They contribute to advancing the path of transitional justice, building institutions that respect human dignity and rights, and preventing the recurrence of violations.
Transitional Syrian government
1. Cooperate with international mechanisms
Issue official invitations to independent UN and international mechanisms, including:
International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM)
Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic
International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
International Red Cross, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and Amnesty International.
Enable these organizations to have unrestricted access to detention centers and crime scenes.
2. Protect evidence and crime locations
Take urgent measures to safeguard evidence, including documenting mass graves and detention facilities and preventing any tampering or trespassing.
Register and clearly mark important sites to ensure they can serve as legal evidence in the future.
3. Promote justice and accountability
Collect evidence on violations, including official records and crime sites.
Ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and grant the court retroactive jurisdiction.
Adopt comprehensive transitional justice policies, including holding perpetrators accountable, compensating victims, and ensuring transparency and credibility.
4. Protect civilians and cultural sites
Ensure the safety of civilians and minorities and protect their fundamental rights to live securely.
Prioritize the removal of mines and remnants of war, allocate the necessary funding, and raise awareness of related risks.
Protect cultural and heritage sites from looting or destruction.
5. Governance reform
Build an inclusive governance structure representing all components of Syrian society, including women and minorities, as well as civil society organizations.
Document and safeguard abandoned properties to ensure that their rightful owners receive compensation in the future.
Improve essential services and ensure they’re accessible to all citizens, including those with disabilities.
6. Prevent further violations
Ensure respect for fundamental rights and freedoms for all without discrimination.
Reform the judiciary and security apparatus in accordance with international human rights standards.
7. Support affected populations and rehabilitation
Provide psychological and social support to families of missing persons and conflict victims.
Develop comprehensive programs for the rehabilitation of survivors and released detainees.
UN Security Council and the international community
1. Refer crimes to the ICC
Refer the Syrian dossier to the ICC or establish a special tribunal to prosecute those involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Pressure international actors, including the Russian government, to hand over individuals responsible for crimes, including Bashar Assad and his family, to international courts.
2. Freeze and confiscate the former regime's funds
Work on freezing the financial assets of the former Assad regime and its affiliates and allocate them to support transitional justice efforts and humanitarian aid, as well as for the victims and their families.
3. Enhance humanitarian efforts
Urge UN agencies to intensify the delivery of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, in affected areas and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
Ensure humanitarian aid reaches northeastern Syria, in coordination with local authorities, to meet the needs of IDPs and facilities detaining individuals accused of formerly belonging to or being affiliated with ISIS.
Guarantee that aid provided to the current or future government promotes respect for human rights and creates conditions for free and fair elections.
4. Remove mines and war remnants
Allocate funding from the UN fund to support landmine removal efforts in affected areas to reduce long-term risks and ensure a safe environment for civilians.
5. Support the missing persons issue and national reconciliation
Provide resources to strengthen the efforts of the ICMP, including training local staff and using advanced technologies to identify missing persons.
Support initiatives contributing to national reconciliation and offer psychological and social support to families of missing persons.
6. Lift sanctions to ensure they don’t adversely affect humanitarian operations
Review economic sanctions imposed on Syria to ensure they do not adversely affect humanitarian operations while maintaining sanctions targeting designated terrorist groups.
7. Ensure protection of Syrian refugees
Urge host countries to refrain from forcibly deporting refugees or pressuring them to return.
Work to create conditions within Syria for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of refugees in accordance with international standards, prioritizing infrastructure improvement and security stability.
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR)
1. Submit reports to the UN Human Rights Council and the UN on documented violations in this and previous reports, highlighting that killing is still going on in Syria.
Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic (COI)
1. Open comprehensive investigations into the violations mentioned in this and previous reports. SNHR is willing to collaborate in such endeavors and share more evidence.
2. Work to identify individuals responsible for war crimes and publish their names to expose them internationally and halt political and economic dealings with them.
International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM)
1. Collect further evidence of the crimes documented in this report and share expertise with Syrian organizations working on documentation and data collection.
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
1. Establish an internal committee to investigate violations committed by the SDF, hold those responsible accountable, and compensate the victims.
2. Refrain from positioning military forces in civilian areas, which poses a threat to their lives.
3. Provide maps indicating the locations of landmines planted by SDF personnel in civilian areas.
Armed opposition factions/Syrian National Army (SNA)
1. Protect civilians in all areas under their control.
2. Launch investigations into human rights violations, hold perpetrators accountable, and disclose the investigation results to the local community.
3. Provide maps indicating the locations of landmines planted by the factions in civilian areas.
Turkish forces
Launch investigations into the incidents documented in this report, compensate the victims, and respect the principles of international law, particularly the principles of distinction and proportionality.
Humanitarian organizations
1. Develop urgent plans to provide decent shelter for IDPs, particularly widows and orphans.
2. Intensify efforts to remove landmines alongside relief operations.
3. Equip vital facilities, such as medical facilities and schools, with ambulances marked with clear, recognizable signs visible from long distances.