Syrians wary as Assad issues amnesty decree for deserters

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a legislative decree on Sunday granting general amnesty to deserters and those charged with or jailed for minor offences before September 22 2024.

The move appears to some to be the latest step in Assad's attempts to pave the way to normalising relations with neighbouring Arab states and Turkey, as Syria grapples with complex internal and regional issues, while activists and observers see the measure as a "trap".

In the decree, news of which was published by Syria's SANA news agency, full pardons will be granted to those convicted of desertion under Syria's military penal code, both inside and outside the country.

However, the decree stipulates that fugitives from justice or those in hiding won't benefit from the amnesty unless they hand themselves in within three months for those inside the country or four months for those living abroad.

The amnesty also applies to minor offenses and violations, but excludes serious crimes that affect public safety and state security, such as bribery, some forms of forgery, public indecency, and certain types of theft.

In crimes involving attacks on personal property, victims must be compensated, the decree states, clarifying that the decree won't affect civil lawsuits and victims retain the right to file civil claims in criminal courts within one year of the decree's issuance.

The last general amnesty was issued by presidential decree on 16 November 2023 and contained similar provisions.

Activist Wafa Abu Maghdab told  The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the amnesty decree "appears to me and many other young people to be no more than a trap. The way I see it, this regime, when it senses or feels danger, begins putting forward initiatives to stay afloat".

Abu Maghdab added: "Young people no longer trust this regime and the amnesty decrees it issues – as the implementation is different to the announcement."

He added that his cousin had handed himself in after a previous amnesty decree, but had been arrested afterwards and transferred to Qaboun prison.

"He was also charged with stealing military equipment: a bed, blankets, a helmet and a rifle that he'd left behind when he fled. The officer knew this - maybe he was the one who stole them and blamed my cousin," says Abu Maghdab.

Activist Mohammed Al-Halabi said: "I don't believe this decree is anything other than an attempt to convince other states that the alleged reforms [are happening]. I also believe it's a cover-up to convince countries that have normalised relations with the regime that Assad is issuing amnesty decrees for his people, and that he wants to improve the security situation for young people."

Halabi added that it's impossible to consider the move as anything other than "political deceit" and an attempt to "polish the regime's image" in the minds of those normalising relations, while "forgetting everything that happened in the last years, and the violations committed against the Syrian people".

Another Syrian, Nashat al-Ali, however, says that the amnesty could benefit Syrians who were tried for minor offences, "as settling their status gives many a ray of hope that they'll be able to travel far away from the hell of Syria".

This article is based on an article which appeared in our Arabic edition by Laith Abi Nader on 22 September 2024. To read the original article click here.