Syria abolishes al-Assad-era ‘terrorism’ court as Kurdish tensions flare

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.

Wednesday’s vote came during the opening ⁠weeks of the first parliament formed since al-Assad was toppled. The chamber convened for the first time in July .

In June 2025, President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree dismissing 67 judges who had served in what he described at the time as the “abolished ‌Counter-Terrorism Court”.

Syria’s March 2025 constitutional declaration had also called for abolishing the effects of what it described as unjust rulings issued by the court, including returning confiscated property.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee said in 2024 that the 2012 law establishing the court failed to adequately provide key judicial guarantees and raised concerns over arbitrary detention, torture or ill-treatment, and the court’s independence.

The vote is among the assembly’s first major legislative decisions after it ‌spent its initial sessions establishing its internal rules and committees.