Former local mayor publicly executed, according to report

After Assad’s fall

Report: Ex-town leader publicly executed in Syria

January 10, 2025 – 6:33 p.mReading time: 2 min.

A militia member of the Islamist HTS in Syria (archive photo): The 50-year-old who was killed is said not to have received a trial. (Who: Omar Sanadiki)

Foreign Minister Baerbock has warned the new rulers in Syria against revenge actions. Nevertheless, an execution probably took place.

A former local leader in Damascus has been publicly executed, according to a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The incident is said to have occurred in the suburb of Dummar, west of Damascus. Accordingly, the man was killed by local members of the security forces of the interim government led by the Islamist organization HTS.

The German Press Agency sought a statement from the government in Damascus. According to dpa information, eyewitnesses reported that the execution was carried out by men in civilian clothing. There was no indication in the report that the execution was preceded by a legal procedure. The man was therefore accused of having denounced young men during the Assad regime, making false accusations. This led to arrests, torture and even the death of those affected.

A photo on the website of the British-based Observatory for Human Rights shows the body of a man in his 50s surrounded by children. The slumped body is tied to a tree and has a gag in its mouth. A clear wound can be seen on the forehead. His chest, stomach and lap are covered in blood. The observatory relies on a network of informants in Syria. The information could not be independently verified.