Lawyers Union in Jazira rejects Damascus Bar's statement, describes it exclusionary

The Lawyers Union in Jazira canton issued a statement on Wednesday in response to a statement released by the Bar Association affiliated with the Transitional Government in Syria. The statement was read by the lawyer Anwar al-Sattam in the presence of lawyers and human rights activists at the People's Court in Qamishlo city of North and East Syria Region.

In its statement, the Union expressed its "deep concern and condemnation of the content of the Damascus Bar Association's statement," considering it to be "exclusionary and inflammatory, couched in formal legal language, while in essence reflecting a unilateral political stance that contradicts the professional role of the legal profession as a protector of rights and freedoms."

The Union emphasized that "the statement contained generic descriptions and broad criminalization targeting civil administrations and entire population groups, ignoring the political and legal context imposed by years of conflict, and usurping the right of millions of Syrians to manage their local affairs and protect themselves in the absence of state institutions."

The Union stressed that "reducing the concept of legitimacy to a single authority contradicts the principles of public law," explaining that "the civil administrations in North and East Syria were formed in response to a societal need and contributed to maintaining civil peace and confronting terrorism on the basis of pluralism and partnership among the components."

The statement added that "the Damascus Bar Association has gone beyond the legitimate legal criticism and resorted to demonizing specific groups, in violation of the March 10th Agreement, which stipulated the rejection of hate speech, the promotion of civil peace, and respect for national, religious, and political pluralism in Syria."

The Union noted that "The Bar Associations are supposed to be at the forefront of defending the right to be different and a fair trial, not engaging in political stances based on exclusion and collective punishment."

The statement concluded by emphasizing that "The law will remain a voice for justice, not an echo of authority; that the law exists to protect human beings, not to justify their exclusion, and the unity of Syria will be achieved through justice and participation, not coercion."

J.J

ANHA