02.05.2026 23:32
Samira Hahami, the mother of Hamza al-Khatib, who became one of the symbolic figures of the popular uprising that began in Syria in 2011 and died at age 13 due to regime torture, said that their pain eased slightly when they saw the trial of Atef Najib, who was held responsible for her son's killing.
Hamza al-Khatib, who became a symbolic figure of the popular uprising that began in Syria in 2011 and died at just 13 years old due to regime torture, his mother Hahami, who demands that the killers and the regime's crimes not go unpunished, said that true peace can only be achieved when those responsible are held accountable.
Hamza's mother Hahami, who also expressed a desire to see Bashar al-Assad stand trial, recounted her emotions during the days when her son was tortured to death and the trial process of Atef Najib, who is held responsible for her son's murder.
The grieving mother described the day she received her son's body and the brutality he endured, stating that she seeks true solace in the establishment of justice.
"WHEN THEY BROUGHT MY SON, I SAW HIM, BUT IT WAS AS IF HE WAS NOT MY HAMZA"
The grieving mother, recounting how Hamza's body was handed over to them after he was tortured to death, said she was in shock.
Hahami stated that her son's body was unrecognizable due to torture, saying, "The torture marks on Hamza's body documented everything. When they brought my son, I saw him, but it was as if he was not my Hamza. His face, his body, everything had been altered. His body was so swollen from torture it was unrecognizable. Seeing him like that was an indescribable shock for me. I saw with my own eyes what they had done to my child."
"HIS ONLY CRIME WAS BEING WITH HIS FRIENDS"
Emphasizing that there was no valid reason for her son's murder, the mother said the regime forces showed no mercy to anyone, not even children.
"He had gone out like other children. His only crime was being with his friends," the grieving mother said. "He did not go to slit anyone's throat or harm anyone. The only reason was the brutality and cruelty of these people. They have no respect for children's rights or sense of responsibility. These cannot be human; a person with any conscience cannot inflict severe torture on a child."
"THE MAIN RESPONSIBLE, BASHAR AL-ASSAD, MUST BE PUNISHED"
Hahami, who demands that Hamza's killers and the regime's crimes not go unpunished, expressed that true peace can only be achieved when those responsible are held accountable.
Hahami, stating that Najib's trial has somewhat alleviated their pain, noted: "It has cooled our hearts a little, but it is not a complete cure for this grief. The true cure for our grief will come when the head of this snake, Bashar al-Assad, and other responsible parties receive the punishment they deserve, at least through execution. I pray for God's mercy for all our martyrs. They are in paradise, we believe that. The place of those who inflicted this oppression on them is fire."
HAMZA, A SYMBOLIC FIGURE OF THE UPRISING
Hamza al-Khatib, when he was only 13 years old, was detained by the ousted regime in 2011 and subjected to various tortures.
Little Hamza, unable to withstand days of torture by regime forces, died and his body was handed over to his family.
Hamza, killed by torture, became one of the symbolic figures of the popular uprising in Syria that resulted in a revolution 14 years later.
Atef Najib, cousin of Bashar al-Assad, who was responsible for the administration of Daraa during the period when Hamza was tortured to death, known as the first victim killed by the regime during the uprising, was brought before a judge for the first time yesterday at the Fourth Criminal Court in the Justice Palace in the capital Damascus.