1,264 Civilian Deaths, Including 242 Children and 118 Women, as well as 86 Deaths due to Torture, Documented in Syria in 2024

503 Civilians Deaths; Including 96 Children and 49 Women, as well as Four Deaths due to Torture, Including One Woman and One Child; Documented in December 2024

Press release: (Download the full report below)

The Hague – The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) revealed in its latest report, released today, that 503 civilians were killed in Syria in December 2024, including 96 children and 49 women, with four of the 503 victims dying due to torture, including one child and one woman. The group also documented the killing of 1,264 civilians in Syria in 2024, including 242 children and 118 women, as well as 86 victims who died due to torture.

The 33-page report provides a summary of the civilian deaths that occurred in December 2024, as well as the deaths occurring in the whole of 2024, 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 in regard to the issue of documenting extrajudicial killings in Syria.

This report draws upon the constant daily monitoring of news and developments by SNHR’s team, 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 recorded in this report are limited to civilian deaths documented in the last month, as well as the whole of 2024. Some of these deaths may have taken place months or years ago and only been documented in this period, in which case the date on which the death was officially documented is listed, as well as the estimated date of death, while taking into consideration the major developments that took place on December 8, 2024, in regard to areas of control and power in Syria, with the fall of the Assad regime.

The report documents the killing of 1,264 civilians in 2024. Of these, Assad regime forces killed 356 civilians, including 92 children and 40 women, while Russian forces killed 29 civilians, including nine children and two women. In addition, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) killed 166 civilians, including 23 children and six women, whereas all armed opposition factions/Syrian National Army (SNA) killed 25 civilians, including four children and three women. Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), on the other hand, killed 21 civilians, including two children and two women, while four civilians, including one child, were killed by ISIS. Furthermore, US-led international Coalition forces killed one child. Lastly, the report records that 662 civilians, including 111 children and 65 women, were killed by other parties.

The report notes that Aleppo governorate saw the highest number of victims, accounting for 27 percent of all civilian deaths in 2024. Daraa governorate came second, with about 18 percent, followed by Idlib governorate with 13 percent, then Deir Ez-Zour governorate with about 11 percent. Most of the victims killed in these governorates were killed by other parties.

As for deaths due to torture, the report documents 86 deaths due to torture in 2024. Of this total, 52, including two children, were killed by Assad regime forces, while 17 were killed by HTS, six were killed by all armed opposition factions/SNA, 10 by SDF, including two children and one woman, and one death due to torture took place at the hands of other parties.

Additionally, 15 medical personnel were killed in 2024, including nine who were killed by other parties, and six who were killed by Assad regime forces. Three Civil Defense personnel were killed this year, all in December 2024 – two by Assad regime forces and one by other parties. The report also documents the killing of six media workers in 2024, all of whom were also killed in December 2024, with five of them killed by Assad regime forces and one by SDF. The report also documents 33 massacres in 2024 at the hands of the parties to the conflict and controlling forces. Fourteen of these massacres were perpetrated by Assad regime forces, while two each were carried out by Russian forces and the SDF, with the remaining 15 massacres carried out by other parties.

The report documents the killing of 503 civilians in December 2024. Assad regime forces were responsible for 223 of these civilian deaths, including those of 65 children and 28 women, while Russian forces killed 13 civilians, including two children and one woman. Eight civilians, including two children and three women, were killed by all armed opposition factions/SNA, while 108 civilians, including seven children and four women, were killed by the SDF. The report also documents the killing of 151 civilians, including 20 children and 13 women by other parties.

The report concludes by providing a number of conclusions and recommendations:

New 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

• Enable these organizations to have unrestricted access to detention centers and crime scenes.

2. Protect evidence and access to 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. Address the issue of missing persons and arbitrary arrests

• Cooperate with international institutions to determine the fate of missing persons and facilitate access to detention centers.
• Release all remaining detainees still being held unlawfully, provide them with medical and psychological care, and ensure they are reunited with their families.
• Establish a national system to monitor the conditions of former detainees and support their rehabilitation.

4. Promote justice and accountability

• Collect evidence related to violations, including official record documents and crime scenes.
• 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.

5. 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.

6. 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 their rightful owners receive compensation in the future.
• Improve essential services and ensure they’re accessible to all citizens, including those with disabilities.

7. 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.

8. 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

• Freeze the financial assets of the former regime and its affiliates and allocate them to support transitional justice efforts and humanitarian aid.

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. Provide maps indicating the locations of landmines planted by SDF forces in civilian areas.

All 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.

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.