On 26 or 27 February 2024, Haj Aref's body was found by her family at her home in Bizaah; it was variously reported in local media that she had been found strangled, hanged, or that she had been strangled before being hanged by a noose. Due to the ongoing conflict in the area, multiple security forces operated in Bizaah, including separate forces associated with the
Syrian Interim Government and the
Syrian National Army. The al-Bab Security Directorate, associated with the SIG, investigated Haj Aref's death, arrested 17 suspects on 28 February; it stated that none of the suspects were associated with any military factions.
Abdurrahman Mustafa, president of the Syrian Interim Government, visited Aref's family to express his condolences. The Syrian National Army did not complete its own investigation. The
European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights attributed Haj Aref's death to "pro-Turkish militias" and expressed its sympathy for her children. The German Special Envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneick, expressed his shock at Aref's death and called for those responsible to be held accountable, remembering Aref as a "courageous fighter for women's rights". == References ==