Syrien
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime on December 8, 2024, Syria's new ruling power, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), swiftly took control of the country's Central Bar Association in Damascus. An 11-member delegation from HTS's Free Bar association in Idlib replaced the existing bar council, which had been elected under the Baath Party's influence.
The new leadership suspended the old council amid accusations of corruption and collaboration with the former regime. This move has prompted tensions and criticism from lawyers nationwide, who are concerned about the independence of the legal profession under the new regime.
A petition launched by lawyer Abdulay al-Sayed, signed by over 400 professionals—including 130 lawyers—demands that the bar regain its independence and not be subjected to any political authority. The petition highlights the bar's historic role in defending the rule of law and warns against replacing Baathist authoritarianism with a new, unelected regime. The signatories advocate for free and fair elections to restore credibility to the Bar Association.
The new HTS-aligned council insists that constitutional reform must precede any elections and claims it is working for the long-term rebuilding of Syria. Critics fear the council's prolonged unelected status risks entrenching another form of authoritarian control over the legal profession.
