Rights Monitor Syria has documented the discovery of the bodies of two young men in the Tal al-Nasr cemetery in the city of Homs on July 20, 2026, following their murder, with marks of mutilation and torture present on both bodies. The family was able to identify one of the two victims as Mahmoud Akram Kafa, while the identity of the second body remains unknown as of the drafting of this report.
According to available information, Mahmoud Akram Kafa, who belonged to the Alawite community, was abducted from outside his home in the city of Homs during March 2026 alongside his uncle, Ahmad Mohammad Kafa, before Mahmoud’s body was found several months after his disappearance, while the fate of Ahmad Mohammad Kafa remains unknown.
Information indicates that Mahmoud’s uncle, Nizar Mohammad Kafa, a member of the Homs Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had been abducted earlier. Subsequently, the family received demands from the abductors for a ransom payment amounting to 50 billion Syrian pounds in exchange for his release.
Sources report that the family’s refusal to pay the ransom was followed by the abduction of Ahmad Mohammad Kafa and his nephew, Mahmoud Akram Kafa. The family also received a video recording depicting both young men being subjected to torture, as part of efforts to pressure the family into fulfilling the abductors’ demands.
This incident raises serious concerns regarding the continuation of patterns of enforced disappearance, unlawful detention, and extrajudicial killing, alongside the use of torture and financial extortion against civilians. It further underscores the imperative for an independent and transparent investigation to identify those responsible for these violations and ensure their accountability in accordance with international standards.
The incident also highlights the ongoing occurrence of killings targeting civilians in several Syrian regions, including individuals belonging to religious and sectarian minorities, amidst the persistent absence of effective accountability and impunity, which contributes to the recurrence of these violations and undermines the protection of civilians.
