ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The family of Sipan Hizni, a Kurdish Syrian army member killed last week by “unidentified gunmen” in northern Syria, on Wednesday demanded “truth and justice” in their son’s case, rejecting claims the killing stemmed from a tribal dispute, while affirming the need for a transparent investigation into the incident.
“We, the family of Sami Sheikhmous Hiso, known among his family and companions as Sipan Hizni… demand truth and justice regarding the crime of kidnapping and killing our son," the family said in a statement seen by Rudaw, calling for “full disclosure of the circumstances of his abduction and killing, a public announcement of investigation results, and the identification of all those who participated.”
The family also requested “a probe into any incitement, assistance, or protection given to those involved,” stressing the need to bring perpetrators to justice through “a fair and independent trial.”
Hizni was a member of a Syrian army brigade comprising fighters from the now-dissolved Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Videos circulating after his abduction show him lying bloodied on a street. His family previously said he was beheaded. The killing has sparked demonstrations across northeast Syria (Rojava).
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based war monitor, reported Thursday that Hizni was killed by members of the Bagara Arab tribe, who accused him of involvement in the deaths of several tribe members around two years ago.
While Hizni's family said they “do not hold any ethnicity or tribe collectively responsible” for his killing, nor are they “calling for revenge,” they stressed that “abducting someone from their home and killing them … is a crime that requires all those involved - whether as perpetrators, inciters, or those who assisted or shielded them - to be held accountable.”
“Sami was a soldier performing his duty in service of the state, protecting security and civil peace… a Syrian Kurd who defended his homeland and every Syrian citizen regardless of their identity,” the family said, adding that “justice for Sami is justice for every victim and proof that the law is above all” in the new Syria.
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