Syria abolishes al-Assad-era ‘terrorism’ court as Kurdish tensions flare
Discontent is testing President Ahmed al-Sharaa's ability to unify a country emerging from 14 years of conflict.
Syria’s parliament has voted to abolish an al-Assad-era “terrorism” court and nullify the legal effects of its rulings, in one of the first significant legislative moves by the country’s new assembly.
The vote on Wednesday formalised the abolition of the court, which Syria’s new authorities had already treated as defunct, state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV reported.
The Counter-Terrorism Court, established in 2012, was used to prosecute thousands of Syrians for offences deemed “terrorism-related” under ousted former President Bashar al-Assad.
Discontent has been building in the Kurdish region amid a push to integrate a once-powerful Kurd-led armed force – the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – into Syria’s army and bring them under the control of the central government.