The mayor of the northwestern suburb of Damascus, Dumar, was publicly executed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported, quoted by Agence France-Presse and BTA.
"Mazen Knene, who is known for his loyalty to the old regime, was executed" by gunmen from the coalition that came to power on December 8, the HRW said.
The executed man was accused of "making false security reports", for which many young people were imprisoned or tortured, explained the UK-based NGO, which has a large network of sources in Syria.
According to the HRW, Knene is responsible for the deaths of young people from the suburb.
The new Syrian authorities have not yet commented on the death of Mazen Knene, which according to the HRW has become a cause for jubilation among local residents.
Syrian refugees living in Germany should have the right to visit their homeland before deciding whether to return to it, German Foreign Minister Analene Berbock said last night, as quoted by DPA and BTA.
Speaking at an event for his Green Party in Hamburg, Berbock said Syrians should be allowed to see for themselves whether it was possible for them to return to their homeland permanently.
There has been a heated debate in Germany about the status of Syrians since the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime a month ago.
Berbock expressed hope that “even in an election year, we will find the opportunity to be pragmatic” and to grant emergency travel permits to Syrians "who would like to do so now." "If the goal is to rebuild Syria, of course we will see what the situation is there," she said, adding that no one knows exactly what the future holds for the Middle Eastern country. Baerbock was referring to refugees who have been granted permission to stay in Germany not because of individual persecution but because of the civil war in their home country. Under German asylum law, if people travel to their home countries, it is legally assumed that the protection conditions no longer apply and they can lose their refugee status. The only exceptions to this are if the trip is considered "morally imperative," such as for the funeral of a relative.