People’s Assembly approves bill to abolish Syria’s Counterterrorism Court
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What happened
Syria’s People’s Assembly passed a bill that abolishes the Counterterrorism Court and cancels its legal effects. Under the draft, the Supreme Judicial Council is to appoint judicial committees to annul prior rulings, restore confiscated assets, and decide whether pending cases are suspended or moved to other courts.
Why it matters
The vote changes the legal status of a large body of security-linked cases and starts a process that can alter detention files, property claims, and court jurisdiction in the near term. It also shifts work onto the regular judiciary and makes implementation choices by the Supreme Judicial Council and justice institutions the next point of policy consequence.
On September 16, Syria’s People’s Assembly unanimously approved a bill to abolish the Counterterrorism Court and void its legal effects. The draft says judicial committees appointed by the Supreme Judicial Council will review past rulings, return confiscated property, and either suspend or transfer pending cases. The move opens a live implementation phase touching detainee files, property restitution, and the state’s handling of exceptional-court cases. It also creates an immediate test of whether the transitional center can convert a symbolic legal break into administratively controlled case review without producing new grievances.
Watch for
Supreme Judicial Council decree on or after 2026-09-17 naming the judicial committees and defining their mandate Ministry of Justice circular on or after 2026-09-17 setting procedures for suspended versus transferred Counterterrorism Court cases People’s Assembly publication in the Official Gazette on or after 2026-09-17 with the bill’s final text and entry-into-force language Syrian Justice Ministry or Supreme Judicial Council announcement by 2026-09-20 on the mechanism for property-return claims and detainee file review
Sources
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