DAMASCUS, 16 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Syria’s parliament on Wednesday voted to abolish the Assad-era Counter-Terrorism Court and nullify the legal effects of its rulings, state television reported, marking one of the first major legislative decisions by the country’s new assembly. The court was established in 2012 under then-President Bashar al-Assad to prosecute Syrians accused of terrorism-related offences amid the uprising against his rule and was used in thousands of cases. The parliamentary vote formalises its abolition after Syria’s new authorities had already treated the court as defunct. In June 2025, President Ahmed al-Sharaa dismissed 67 judges who had served at what he described as the “abolished Counter-Terrorism Court.” Syria’s March 2025 constitutional declaration also called for the reversal of the effects of what it described as unjust rulings issued by the court, including the return of confiscated property. The U.N. Human Rights Committee said in 2024 that the law establishing the court did not adequately guarantee key judicial protections and raised concerns over arbitrary detention, torture or ill-treatment and the court’s independence. A U.N. report also documented widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment within the detention system under the former government. The vote came during the opening weeks of Syria’s first parliament formed since Assad was toppled in December 2024, with the chamber holding its first session in July. The assembly’s initial sessions focused on establishing internal rules and committees, while it has also begun questioning government ministers over issues including education and rising fuel prices.