Syria’s rebel leader vows to dissolve Assad security forces, close prisons

The world is watching to see if Syria’s new rulers can stabilise the country and avoid unleashing violent revenge

Reading Time:3 minutes

A woman holding a rifle borrowed from a Syrian opposition fighter poses for a picture, next to a government forces tank in Damascus, Syria. Photo: AP

Published: 11:31am, 12 Dec 2024Updated: 5:09pm, 12 Dec 2024

The main commander of the fighters who toppled Bashar al-Assad said that he would dissolve the security forces of the former regime, close its prisons and hunt down anyone involved in the torture or killing of detainees.

Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa – better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani – said in a statement to Reuters he will “dissolve the security forces of the previous regime and close the notorious prisons”.

Syria ran one of the most oppressive police states in the Middle East during five decades of Assad family rule.

Sharaa, whose former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is now the country’s most powerful force, must balance demands for justice from victims with the need to prevent violent reprisals and secure international aid.

03:45

Inmates freed from Syria’s most notorious prison after Assad regime falls

Syrians have flocked to the infamous prisons where the Assad regime is estimated to have held tens of thousands of detainees, desperately looking for their loved ones. Some have been released alive, others were identified among the dead and thousands more have not yet been found.