Draft law: Syrian govt approves lifting emergency rule

Cabinet endorses law regulating protests, provoking demonstrations.


Reuters April 20, 2011 1 min read

AMMAN:


Syria’s government passed a draft law on Tuesday to lift 48 years of emergency rule, a concession to unprecedented demands for greater freedom in the country.


But protests continued after the announcement, with demonstrators taking to the streets in the city of Banias and opposition leaders said they would not stop until their other demands, including the release of political prisoners, freedom of speech, and a multi-party system, were also met.

State news agency Sana said the cabinet ratified draft legislation, which must still be signed by President Bashar al Assad, “to end the state of emergency in Syria”.

The cabinet also passed a law to abolish a special security court which human rights lawyers says violates the rule of law and the right to fair trial. It also passed legislation to “regulate the right of peaceful protest”. Permission from the interior ministry will be needed to demonstrate in Syria, the news agency said. One activist dismissed the cabinet decision, saying Assad himself could have lifted emergency law immediately. “The government doesn’t need to issue anything ... It’s in the hands of the president to lift it,” Ammar Qurabi said.

“This (announcement) is all just talk. The protests won’t stop until all the demands are met or the regime is gone,” leading opposition figure Haitham Maleh, an 80-year-old former judge, told Reuters.

Rights activists said at least three more protesters were shot dead in the latest shooting early Tuesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20th,  2011.

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