New Syria protest conditions raise concern over freedoms

An interior ministry official told AFP that the decision is purely regulatory and aims to protect demonstrators from violence, stating it does not restrict freedoms but regulates them.

The interior ministry announced new conditions for street protests. It said the right to demonstrate and gather peacefully is guaranteed under Syria's transitional constitution but must be exercised according to legal conditions and mechanisms to ensure security and public order. A committee would decide on demonstration applications within five days of filing, with the right to appeal. Authorities could end an authorised protest if it exceeded the permit limits or if riots occurred. Rights activists criticized the move as reinstating permit-like restrictions.

In April 2026, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa sought to reassure his Emirati counterpart that Damascus wished to maintain good relations with the United Arab Emirates, following a violent protest outside the UAE embassy in Damascus.

Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December 2024 after nearly 14 years of civil war that erupted with protests in 2011 following his repression of dissent.