Syria’s newly formed parliament voted on Wednesday to abolish an al-Assad-era court used for years to prosecute political dissidents, marking one of the assembly’s first major legislative actions since the fall of the former regime.
The vote formally abolishes the Counter-Terrorism Court and nullifies the legal effects of its previous rulings, state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV reported. Though new authorities had already treated the tribunal as defunct, the decision legally dismantles an institution established in 2012 under ousted President Bashar al-Assad to try thousands of Syrians on broad “terrorism-related” charges.
The court had long drawn international criticism. In 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Committee stated that the 2012 law establishing the court failed to provide basic judicial guarantees, raised severe concerns over arbitrary detention and torture, and lacked judicial independence.
The parliamentary vote took place during the opening weeks of the assembly, which spent its initial sessions establishing internal rules and committees. The 53-year rule of the al-Assad family concluded on December 8, 2024, following an 11-day rebel offensive.
The legislative milestone coincides with mounting political and economic pressure on President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he attempts to unify Syria after 14 years of civil war.
Tensions flared on Wednesday in the country’s northeastern Kurdish region, where demonstrators blocked a major highway near the town of Tal Tamr to protest rising fuel prices. The blockade left hundreds of oil tanker trucks stranded along the transport route.
Public discontent in the northeast has grown alongside central government efforts to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a Kurd-led armed group that previously held control over the region and its oilfields—into Syria’s national army. When the SDF controlled the territory, fuel supplies were heavily subsidized by local authorities.
Kurds made up roughly 10 percent of Syria’s 23 million residents prior to the outbreak of conflict in 2011 and faced systemic marginalization under the al-Assad family’s rule. Following the fuel protests, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir is scheduled to be questioned regarding the situation.
Sources
– [Al Jazeera News](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/16/syria-abolishes-al-assad-era-terrorism-court-as-kurdish-tensions-flare?traffic_source=rss)
Source: Al Jazeera News
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Story synopsis gathered from: Al Jazeera News — source
