Syria’s parliament voted on Wednesday to formally abolish the Counter-Terrorism Court established in 2012 during Bashar al-Assad’s presidency, nullifying the legal effects of its rulings. The move represents one of the first substantial legislative actions by the country’s new assembly, which convened for the first time in July following Assad’s removal from power in December 2024.

The Counter-Terrorism Court was originally created amid efforts to suppress an uprising against Assad’s rule and was used to prosecute thousands of Syrians on terrorism-related charges. However, the court had already been treated as defunct by the new Syrian authorities prior to this vote. In June 2025, President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree dismissing 67 judges who had served on the court, describing it as abolished at that time. Additionally, Syria’s March 2025 constitutional declaration called for annulling the impacts of what it characterized as unjust rulings issued by the court, including the return of confiscated property.

The decision to formally end the court comes in the context of longstanding criticism from international human rights bodies. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, in a 2024 assessment, highlighted that the law establishing the court lacked essential judicial safeguards. The committee raised concerns about arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment, and the court’s independence. It also noted that the court was permitted to deviate from standard procedures during prosecutions and trials.

Further highlighting human rights issues, the UN’s International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism reported in 2024 that the Counter-Terrorism Court was part of a broader judicial infrastructure through which detainees held by Assad-era security agencies were prosecuted. That report documented widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment within the government’s detention system.

Supporters of the abolition argue the court symbolized an instrument of repression and lacked due process guarantees, while critics of the past regime have long pointed to it as emblematic of unjust practices during the conflict. The parliament’s vote aims to provide a legal and institutional break from the practices of the previous regime, aligning with broader calls for justice reform in post-Assad Syria.