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According to multiple sources, the young man, Abed al-Ghani Mounir, died under torture at the military security branch in Aleppo, northern Syria, after he had “regularized his status” and returned to regime-controlled areas from Turkey.
Mounir was arrested by Syrian regime military security forces at a checkpoint after his arrival in Aleppo, where his family resides. His family was notified of his death and received his body about 25 days after his arrest.
Abed al-Ghani Mounir, a 33-year-old engineer and father of two children, was originally from Aleppo. He had lived in Turkey for nine years before being forcibly deported to the city of Azaz, which is under the control of the Syrian opposition in the north of the country.
After living in Azaz for five months, Mounir decided to return to his hometown, where his family still lives. He paid the “military service exemption” fee and underwent a “settlement” process to clear his security status.
In late August 2024, the Syrian regime’s Interior Minister, Major General Mohammed al-Rahmoun, claimed that no displaced Syrians who had returned to the country had been arrested and that their statuses had been regularized.
However, on July 2, 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Gilles Edwards, expressed concern about reports indicating that torture was still being widely practiced in Syria, seven months after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had ordered the Syrian regime to end the practice.
On May 2, 2024, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria reported that arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and the lack of rule of law continue in Syria, amounting to “war crimes.” The report also noted that civilians remain severely affected by insecurity and the absence of legal protections.
Earlier, on November 16, 2023, the ICJ called on the Syrian regime to take “urgent and provisional” measures, compelling it to halt torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment in its prisons, following a case brought against the regime by the Netherlands and Canada over its human rights violations.
Torture is a crime under international law, strictly prohibited by all relevant legal frameworks, and cannot be justified under any circumstances. This rule is recognized as customary international law, meaning all states must abide by it, regardless of their treaty obligations. The widespread and systematic use of torture is classified as a “crime against humanity” under UN definitions.
Same Justice Human Rights condemned the killing of Abed Al-Ghani Mounir under torture in the Syrian regime’s security branches, as well as the continued grave violations committed by regime forces against civilians. These actions are in violation of international law, including UN Security Council Resolutions 2139 and 2254, which pertain to the protection of civilians in Syria.
Same Justice Human Rights calls for an immediate end to torture and arbitrary detention in Syria, stressing the importance of upholding human rights principles established by the United Nations, including the requirement for judicial warrants for arrests, the right to a fair defense, and protection from all forms of psychological and physical torture.
