Ahmad Baccora, coordinator of the Syrian National Opposition’s (SOC) Refugee and Displaced Persons Working Group, emphasized that the murder of a citizen in rural al-Qusayr, Homs, by Assad’s forces after refusing to return his seized home fully illustrates the real fears Syrian refugees have about forced repatriation, particularly to areas under regime control.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said on Wednesday that Mahmoud al-Hassan, a former employee at the Homs Electricity Company from the village of Saqarja in al-Qusayr countryside, was killed on November 5 by gunfire from regime forces after they denied his request to reclaim his confiscated home in Saqarja.
Baccora said that this documented incident is likely one of many undocumented cases, adding that Syria cannot be considered safe as long as killings, arrests, and torture continue. He warned that those pursuing forced repatriation policies could be held accountable for legal repercussions.
Baccora called on the international community to activate accountability mechanisms to punish those responsible for war crimes in Syria. He highlighted the importance of moving forward with the political process and implementing relevant international resolutions on Syria, particularly the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Security Council Resolutions 2118 and 2254.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
