Syria’s Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais has announced that the government has formally demanded the handover of former President Bashar al-Assad and his associates as part of an ongoing transitional justice process, reports Anadolu.
Speaking on Feb. 22, Wais said the Syrian state has stressed “the necessity of handing over Bashar al-Assad and all those involved with him,” urging a clear legal process that compels states to fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities. Syrian authorities would pursue all alleged criminals through “appropriate and internationally legitimate legal means.”
The remarks come days after President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued a decree granting a general amnesty for certain crimes and reducing sentences for others. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Wais described the amnesty as a “pressing necessity imposed by the complex legal and legislative reality,” calling it constitutional and legally sound.
According to the justice minister, the decree was implemented immediately upon issuance, resulting in the release of approximately 1,500 detainees so far. He estimated that nearly half a million Syrians could potentially benefit from the amnesty.
However, Wais emphasised that the pardon does not apply to individuals responsible for serious crimes against the Syrian people. “No one involved in (spilling) a single drop of blood against the Syrian people has been or will be released,”he said.