The British-based human rights organization said Raed al-Fares and his friend Hamud al-Juneid were killed by unidentified gunmen in the town of Kafranbel, where their Radio Fresh station was based.
Al-Fares gained international prominence in the early days of the uprising against Assad, which started with mass demonstrations in 2011 and quickly slid into one of the bloodiest civil wars ever witnessed.
He posted protest banners on social media targeting the Syrian leader, his ally Iran as well as Western governments whom al-Fares believed failed to protect the Syrian people. He then turned his satire on jihadists who exploited the chaos to grab slices of Syrian territory.
As the war progressed, al-Fares secretly filmed and released footage showing the suffering of the people in Kafranbel.
In 2014 he was shot in the chest by ISIS and was abducted and tortured several times, according to the SOHR.
Al-Fares was interviewed about his work in a video posted on Youtube.
"I have known them for at least 4 years from the early days of the liberation," Ayman Akkad, 30, a friend of al-Fares, told CNN.
"Raed is the one I go to when I want a thorough honest advisory. ...totally honest and straightforward. He was always joking about how many times he found hidden bombs around his house, he wouldn't buy a car because it would be his grave. He led an everlasting battle for democracy and prosperity of Syria. He advocated for right during the times of fear, when everyone was silent. My reaction was like I was waiting for it, I kinda knew it ...it sounded familiar but it was heartbreaking that it happened".
In a joint statement published on Facebook, US Ambassador Jim Jeffrey, the Secretary's Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Joel Rayburn, US Deputy Assistant of State and Special Envoy for Syria said the two deceased men "lived their lives as heroes."
"Raed and Hamud were patriots and activists who dedicated their lives to building a better future for Syria and the Syrian people. As symbols of the Syrian revolution and the best of the youth for Syria, they were among the first revolutionaries to put their creativity and skills to use to serve their people and their nation."
The statement said "the treasonous, criminal and malicious hands responsible for their assassination cannot and will not succeed in erasing their legacy."
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