A Violation of the sanctity of the Judiciary and the Principle of Judicial Independence and Requires Immediate Accountability
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The Hague – The Syrian Network for Human Rights:
Saturday evening, May 24, 2025, Judge Ahmed Mustafa Haskal, an investigating judge in Aleppo, was physically and verbally assaulted by members of the Internal Security Forces, affiliated with the Syrian government’s Ministry of Interior, while carrying out his judicial duties in examining the body of a murder victim in the Sheikh Saeed neighborhood.
Incident details: Based on reliable local testimonies provided by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, Judge Ahmad Haskal, accompanied by a patrol from the Internal Security Forces affiliated with the Ministry of Interior of the transitional government, traveled to Aleppo University Hospital to examine the body, which had been transported from the crime scene, in preparation for an official examination and the preparation of the necessary report.
Upon arriving at the hospital late at night, a dispute broke out between the judge and a security officer. The judge objected to the car leaving due to the late hour and requested that the body be taken directly to the forensic center.
The dispute quickly escalated into a verbal altercation, then a verbal assault, before escalating into a physical assault by the security officer against the judge. The judge was severely beaten, according to civilian eyewitnesses present at the scene. The remaining officers failed to intervene to stop the assault, and some even joined in later, after the judge attempted to defend himself.
Following the incident, Judge Haskal was taken to the Internal Security Department in the Al-Saleheen neighborhood, where he was placed in solitary confinement for approximately six hours. During this time, he was subjected to a second physical assault inside the department. He was released on the morning of Sunday, May 25, 2025, following the intervention of both the First Public Prosecutor and the First Investigating Judge in Aleppo.
Effects and consequences of the incident: The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented photos showing severe and scattered bruises on the judge’s body, clearly indicating that he had been severely beaten.
On May 26, the Ministry of Justice of the Syrian Transitional Government issued a statement condemning the attack and announcing the opening of an urgent investigation in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, as well as the arrest of a number of those involved in the incident. The ministry also denied rumors circulating regarding Judge Haskal holding any position within the former regime’s anti-terrorism court, affirming that these allegations, which were promoted as an attempt to justify the violation, were false.
