236 Civilian Deaths, Including 32 Children and 18 Women, as well as One Woman’s Death due to Torture, Documented in Syria in January 2025, 21 Civilians Were Killed by SDF

Landmine and Cluster Bomblet Explosions Killed 71 Civilians, Including Seven Children and Three Women, in January

Press release: (Download the full report below)

The Hague – The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) revealed in its latest report, released today, that 236 civilians were killed in Syria in January 2025, including 32 children and 18 women. Of these, 21 civilians were killed by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including one woman who died due to torture. Meanwhile, landmine and cluster bomblet explosions killed 71 civilians this past month, including seven children and three women.

The 20-page report provides a summary of the civilian deaths that occurred in January 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 recorded in this report are limited to civilian deaths that have been documented in the preceding month, January 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, sadly, fatalities are still being documented at its hands in various forms, including the explosion of war remnant and cluster bomblets left by previous attacks carried by Assad regime forces, civilians dying of wounds sustained in attacks carried out by Assad regime forces, and the killings still being carried out by pro-Assad militias. In this context, the Assad regime was responsible for the deaths of nine of the 236 civilians documented killed in January 2025, including four children,. Meanwhile, the SDF killed 21 civilians in January, including seven children and six women, while the Syrian National Army (SNA) killed four civilians, including two children and one woman, and the US-led International Coalition forces killed one child. Lastly, 201 civilians, including 18 children and 11 women, were killed by other parties.

As the report further reveals, Aleppo governorate saw the highest number of civilian deaths documented this month, accounting for about 35 percent of the total, followed by Hama governorate with about 16 percent, with all victims in the governorate killed by other parties, and then Deir ez-Zour governorate with about 10 percent.

On the subject of deaths due to torture, the report documented the death of one woman due to torture in January 2025 at the hands of the SDF. Moreover, four medical personnel, one media worker, and one Civil Defense worker were killed by other parties. The report also documented two massacres in January 2025 at the hands of other parties.

Th report also reveals that SNHR documented at least 14 attacks on vital civilian facilities in January 2025 by the parties to the conflict and controlling forces in Syria. One of these attacks was carried out by the SNA, four by the SDF, and nine by other parties.

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 January died as a result of landmine explosions, with none of the perpetrator forces involved in the Syrian conflict ever 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 the 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, in clear contravention of international human rights law and flagrantly violating 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. Failure to protect civilians: All parties to the conflict in Syria have systematically failed to take the necessary measures to protect civilians in the areas under their control. This constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, particularly Rule 87 of the customary rules of international humanitarian law, which requires protection of civilian residents against the threats of military operations, particularly for women and children.

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 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. 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.

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.

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.

Download the full report