RAQQA, Syria (North Press ) – On Sunday, the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish) announced imposing a curfew in the city of Raqqa on the background of protests in the city of Raqqa, north east Syria.
Some of the protesters attacked the courthouse in the city of Raqqa which drew intervention by Anti-Riot Police of the Asayish. Today’s protest was the second one in the city amid calls and appeals made to hang the people who killed a pregnant woman and her daughter.
The murdered women, Noura Ahmad, was a teacher in her twenties and eight months pregnant. She and her eight-year-old daughter were killed by four men on January 16 in the city of Raqqa. On the following day, the Asayish announced they captured the perpetrators.
Ahmad al-Saleh, husband of Noura al-Ahmad, 25, demanded in a video aired on social media that perpetrators be hanged.
Al-Saleh who lives in al-Mukhtalita neighborhood in east Raqqa, says, “I call death penalty be imposed on those criminals. If justice not served, crimes could be committed everywhere.”
Initial information signify the crime was carried out with cold blood as “burglars” strangled the daughter and the mother with a sharp device.
Issa al-Sido, a cousin of Noura, told North Press, “The crime was carried out by neighbors and motivated by burglary.”
Al-Sido added that security concerned bodies arrested more than 10 people from the neighborhood under investigation.
The Asayish later revealed in a statement that the crime was committed by four people who “are now awaiting trial.”
Al-Sido said “Noura had scars of 15 stabs on her body, while the daughter was strangled.”
Among many others, al-Sido demands death penalty be imposed against the perpetrators, which contravenes the laws of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
Before the Asayish announce they had captured the perpetrators, relatives of Noura protested in front of the Executive Council of the AANES demanding that perpetrators be handed over.
Activists and notables in the city called on local authorities via statements aired on social media platforms that killers be hanged.
Lawrence al-Borsan, a tribal notable from Raqqa, says that popular demands of a death sentence and the case turning into a public opinion one could shape the decision that is going to be passed.
Al-Borsan believes any decision to be passed should take into account rules and norms “to be a deterrence for further crimes.”
Al-Borsan says the security forces have arrested the culprit and judiciary authorities should pass a deterring sentence.
Twenty-four hours to the crime, Teachers’ Union condemned the crime dubbing it as “an organized crime” and calling that hardest punishment be imposed on the perpetrators of the crime.
While popular demands call for executing the perpetrators of the crime, the death penalty is a red line according to the AANES laws.
Co-chair of the Legislative Council in Raqqa, Khaled Berghel, says that “the death penalty contravenes all humanitarian laws.”
“The most painful sentence in North and East Syria is a life sentence with hard labor,” he said.
According to Berghel, such cases could follow the “Platform” system.
The AANES depends on the “Platform” system for public opinion cases. According to this system, around 200 people, in addition to the defendant and their lawyers, would meet. However, death penalty could not be passed.
Lawyer Mahabad Ati says, “The death penalty could be passed when a case touches a community safety, or in case an appalling act is committed which is decided by the judge, according to the Syrian law.”
Atil told North Press that the death sentence could be passed by the judge in case of abusing the corpse and dismembering it.
Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights, abolishes the death penalty. It has been in effect in Europe since November 4, 1950. Serbia and Bosnia are not signatories. More than 100 countries later joined the convention.
Except for 68 member states of the UN, all other members states have abolished capital punishment.
In Syria, however, capital punishment is effective in many cases including murder. Espionage and treason according to Article 39 of General Penal Code amended by a 2011 Legislative Decree, and Law No. 49 relevant to Muslim Brotherhood, passed 1980.