Political Council of Central, Western Syria questions legitimacy of “Amnesty Decree”

The Political Council of Central and Western Syria cast doubt on the legitimacy of the “amnesty decree” issued by the head of the interim government, Ahmad al-Sha'ara’, considering it devoid of legal basis. It described the decree as “null and void” on the grounds that it exceeded jurisdiction, usurped legislative authority, and violated the principle of parallelism of forms.

In a statement, the council explained that a general amnesty, from a legal standpoint, must be issued by law or by a legislative decree not by an ordinary decree pointing out that the current authority does not possess the constitutional legitimacy to issue such a decision.

The council added that a number of officials within the “de facto government,” including the current Minister of Justice Mazhar al-Wais, the recently appointed Deputy President of the Court of Cassation Shadi al-Waisi, as well as Asaad al-Shaibani and Mohammad al-Bashir, are still considered affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra and its subsequent iterations, an entity designated on international terrorism lists.

The statement further noted that United Nations Security Council Resolution 2,799, even if it included lifting the designation from certain names, does not constitute an acquittal nor eliminate the possibility of legal accountability.

The council also cited Resolution 2,254, particularly paragraph (8), arguing that individuals facing serious accusations do not possess the authority to issue laws or amnesty decrees.

It described the step as an attempt to circumvent international pressure and as a political and media effort to “rehabilitate” the authority in international forums, affirming that it does not recognize the so-called “Constitutional Declaration” in its current form.

At the same time, the council expressed anticipation, together with families, for the release of the largest possible number of abductees and forcibly disappeared persons in the coming days within a period ranging from 24 to 72 hours, which it described as the usual procedural timeframe for the Public Prosecution, hoping it will lead to the release of their relatives.

ANHA