Syria: Targeted Killing of Syrian Activists and Intellectuals Continues

The Local Coordinating Committees of Syria have announced the killing of Mashaal Tammo, a prominent Syrian Kurdish opposition figure and spokesman for the Kurdish Future Party. Activists have released a video (warning: graphic) of his body.  While it is not known who was responsible for the killing, it was reported that four gunmen entered Tammo’s house and shot him. Tammo’s death will add another name to the list of prominent activists and intellectuals who have been targeted by “unknown gunmen” over the past month. Starting with the return of the body of prominent human rights activists Ghiath Matar on September 11th, who died under torture while in the custody of security forces, at least 7 people have been victims of targeted killings. The victims include 3 scientists: Dr. Hassan Eid, the head of the Thoracic Surgery Department at Homs National Hospital; Professor Ali Aqeel, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Architecture – for Scientific Affair and Professor Nael Dakhil, Dean of Faculty of Petrochemistry in the Al-Baath University; 1 professor:  Mohammad al-Omar, a history professor at Aleppo University; 1 engineer: Aws Khalil, a nuclear engineer and professor from Homs; Saryah Hassoun, the son of Syria’s grand mufti Ahmed Hassoun; and now, Mashaal Tammo. In all 7 cases, the victims were either shot in the head or the body generally “in a hail of bullets” from unidentified gunmen.

In response to a number of killings and attacks over the summer -including a singer from Hama, Ibrahim Qashoush in July- Abdul Rahman Al Rashed described “four decades, [in which] the Syrian regime killed numerous journalists, writers and artists. It was the only suspect in a series of bloody crimes.” Rashed also notes several journalists killed or maimed since President Bashar Al’Assad took power including “famous intellectual Samir Qusseir [who] was assassinated; Jubran Twini was killed and TV presenter Mai Shediaq was almost killed when her car exploded, which she lost her leg.” Rahed concludes that “the convoy of intellectuals killed and attacked by the Syrian regime, such as cartoonist [Ali] Ferzat…were killed only because they represented the conscience of a large sector of people who disagreed with the Damascus regime.”