2025 Interim Constitution Of Syria

The 2025 Interim Constitution of Syria, officially known as the Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic (), is a provisional constitution ratified by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. It establishes the basic law for a five-year transition period.

This occurrence followed the downfall of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship on 8 December 2024, which resulted from military offensives conducted in part by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist insurgent organization, and supported by allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army. This brought an end to over five decades of Assad family rule that began when Hafez al-Assad assumed power in 1971 under the Ba'ath Party following a coup d'état.

After the fall of the Assad regime, Hassan Abdel Ghani, spokesman for the Military Operations Command, announced the repeal of the 2012 Ba'athist Syrian constitution. Al-Sharaa then declared that he would issue a "constitutional declaration" as a legal framework until a new constitution was established. On 2 March 2025, he formed a committee to draft a new constitutional declaration to oversee the country's transition, and on 13 March, he signed the interim constitution, which will remain valid for five years.

The constitutional reform occurred amid ongoing instability, including threats of territorial fragmentation from pro-Assad remnants, Druze militias, and Israeli military invasion; sectarian tensions and massacres in Alawite-populated regions; and international sanctions maintained from the Syrian civil war.

Background

The 2024 Syrian opposition offensives, codenamed "Deterrence of Aggression," were led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and supported by allied Turkish-backed groups in the Syrian National Army. These offensives resulted in the rapid fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, ending five decades of Assad family rule that began when Hafez al-Assad assumed power in 1971 under the Ba'ath Party following a coup d'état. As a rebel coalition moved closer to Damascus, reports indicated that Bashar al-Assad had fled the capital by plane to Russia, where he joined his exiled family and was granted political asylum by the Russian government. After his departure, opposition forces announced their victory on state television. At the same time, Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed his resignation and departure from Syria.

On 29 December 2024, ''Syria TV'' reported that preparations were underway for a National Conference of 1,200 representatives for which the date has not been decided yet. ''Syria TV'' said that during the National Conference, the constitutional drafting committee would be announced and that during the conference, the People's Assembly of Syria and all armed factions including HTS would be dissolved, leading to the restructuring of a new national army. Later that day, Syrian '' de facto'' leader Ahmed al-Sharaa stated that elections could take up to 4 years to be organized, with the need to conduct a census beforehand.

Constitutional changes

After the regime change, al-Sharaa was formally appointed as the President of Syria by the Syrian General Command for the transitional period during the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference in Damascus on 29 January 2025. Before this, he had served as the '' de facto'' leader following the fall of the Assad regime. After he was appointed president, al-Sharaa, in his first address on 31 January 2025, stated that he would issue a "constitutional declaration" to serve as a "legal reference" until a new constitution was established.

After a meeting of the armed groups that took part in the offensive against the Assad regime, these groups simultaneously agreed to abolish the 2012 constitution of Ba'athist Syria and initiate the drafting of a replacement document. While the Assad regime's fall was celebrated by many Syrians, the subsequent establishment of Islamist leadership generated uncertainty among the country's religious minorities, with many communities expressing reluctance to accept Damascus's authority in their regions. During the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference, Hassan Abdel Ghani, spokesman for the Military Operations Command, announced the repeal of the 2012 Syrian constitution.

On 12 February 2025, the caretaker government announced the formation of a preparatory committee for the then upcoming Syrian National Dialogue Conference, comprising seven members: Hassan al-Daghim, Maher Alloush, Mohammed Mastet, Youssef al-Hijr, Mustafa al-Moussa, Hind Kabawat, and Houda Atassi. The conference faced criticism for inadequate representation of Syria's diverse communities and civic organizations. On 2 March 2025, President al-Sharaa declared the establishment of a committee with the task of drafting a new constitutional declaration to guide the country's transition following the ousting of the Assad regime. On 13 March 2025, President al-Sharaa ratified the interim constitution, which will be valid for five years.

Overview

The Constitution sets a presidential system with the executive power at the hands of the president who appoints the ministers, without the position of prime minister. This constitution enshrines Islamic law as the main derivation of jurisprudence while preserving freedoms of opinion and expression. The People's Assembly has been established to serve as the interim parliament during the five-year transition, overseeing the drafting of a new permanent constitution. The president selects one-third of the People's Assembly members and appoints judges to the constitutional court without requiring parliamentary approval. The remaining two-thirds are elected through commissions supervised by a committee designated by the president.

The Constitution retains certain elements from its predecessor, including the requirement that the President's religion be Islam and that Islamic jurisprudence serve as the primary legislative foundation. The constitution promised equality for all citizens regardless of demographic and religious backgrounds. The current Syrian Armed Forces was designated as a professional national institution, prohibiting unauthorized armed groups from existing regionally. Public support for the former Assad regime was criminalized.

The Constitution initially designated the original 1:2 independence flag as the primary flag; however, after the addition of 10 more articles and revisions of some articles, the final text ultimately retained the 2:3 proportion.

Reactions

United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen offered qualified support for the declaration, expressing hope that it would contribute to restoring rule of law and facilitate a comprehensive transition process. Pedersen additionally called for independent investigations into recent sectarian violence and attacks on Alawite civilians and urged Syria's interim leadership to collaborate with UN authorities on these matters.

Syrian journalist Saba Madour characterized the speech restrictions against denying Assad's crimes as advancing historical truth and supporting justice for victims of his regime, though she noted additional measures against Assad-sympathetic parties would be necessary for full accountability.

Criticism

The Syrian Democratic Council delivered sharp criticism, claiming that al-Sharaa was repeating Assad's constitutional approach. The council declared the document illegitimate and inconsistent with previously negotiated agreements between al-Sharaa and Syrian Democratic Forces leadership. They warned of increased violence, sectarianism, and authoritarianism in Syria. They specifically warned that emphasizing Sharia law in governance could precipitate renewed instability throughout the country. Authorities in the Kurdish Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria rejected the declaration for failing to acknowledge Syria's diverse ethnic composition. Their criticism focused on the document's perceived continuation of Ba'athist policies through different means and its inadequate recognition of the country's diverse demographic components. The formal critique came just two days after the Kurdish administration had signed an agreement with Damascus's new authorities regarding integration into the Syrian state.

Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri characterized the transitional government as "extremist" and categorically rejected possibilities for consensus. Al-Hijri questioned the government's legitimacy and suggested it could face international justice proceedings following the massacres against Alawite civilians occurring concurrently with the ratification of the constitution.

Protests

On 14 March 2025, hundreds of Kurdish demonstrators protested the recently signed constitutional declaration in Qamishli, which they claimed failed to address the aspirations of Syria's minority populations. Critics feared that the extensive powers granted to the transitional president could establish foundations for renewed authoritarian governance. Scrutiny was also given to the five-year transition period, with critics questioning whether al-Sharaa would adhere to this timeline given perceived breaches of previous commitments. The declaration's establishment of Islamic jurisprudence as the primary legislative source generated criticism from those concerned about implications for Syria's pluralistic society.

Protesters condemned further the constitution's lack of explicit recognition of Syria's minority groups, including Kurds, Alawites, Christians, and Druze communities, which many perceived as contradicting the declaration's stated guarantee of freedom of belief and legal equality for all citizens in favor of a Sunni-dominated state. Demonstrators chanted slogans calling for the "downfall of al-Julani," using President al-Sharaa's nom de guerre during the civil war. Additional protests took place in Amuda, with protesters advocating for a "democratic and federal" governance system to allow for Kurdish state autonomy.

See also

*Syrian Constitutional Committee, a UN-backed effort to create a new constitution for Syria during the civil war

References

External links

Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic
(English translation)
Constitutional Declaration of the Syrian Arab Republic
(Arabic Original)
{{Syria topics
Constitutions of Syria
Syrian Interim Government
2020s in Syrian politics
Aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime
Provisional constitutions
2025 documents
March 2025 in Syria