Amnesty: Syria's cybercrime law restricts free speech

The organization said the law continues to be used to restrict freedom of expression despite the Justice Ministry's announcement that it is reviewing the legislation and imposing certain limits on its implementation.

In a report, Amnesty International said it documented five cases of journalists and activists who were detained between January and June 2026 for peacefully expressing their views online. The detentions were based on broadly worded provisions criminalizing acts such as "undermining the prestige of the state" and "online defamation." Two of those individuals are still facing prosecution.

The organization quoted Heba Morayef, its Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, as saying that the transitional authorities have continued to use a "repressive" law inherited from the former regime against critics, despite the 2025 Constitutional Declaration guaranteeing freedom of expression. She stressed that reforming the legal framework should be a priority and that no one should be arrested or prosecuted for peacefully expressing their opinions online.

Amnesty International also said that the procedural safeguards announced by the Justice Ministry, including restrictions on pretrial detention, fail to address the core problem because the law itself contains provisions that violate freedom of expression and allow prison sentences for conduct protected under international law. The organization called for all charges against those detained for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression to be dropped and urged swift amendments to the law in line with international standards.

ANHA