This decision follows months of dissatisfaction with the Syrian authorities confronted with an increasing economic crisis.
Le Monde with AFP
The Syrian President, Bachar Al-Assad, promulgated, on Monday, March 28, a law providing for a sentence of six months in prison for the Syrians living in the country which would disseminate information “damaging the prestige” of the State . Under the previous law, only the Syrians residing abroad could be sentenced to prison sentences, probably in absentia, for disseminating information deemed harmful to the state.
“Each Syrian who publishes false information or exaggerated information that affects the state’s prestige (…) will be imprisoned for at least six months,” said a statement published by the Syrian Presidency. The same sentence will be applicable for any Syrian who “publishes information that can improve the reputation of an enemy state,” added the presidency, without specifying which countries it was. The new law also introduced a one-year sentence in prison for “all Syrian who, in writing or verbally, called for the sale of Syrian territory,” according to the statement.
“People ( …) live in the fear of being stopped “
This last decision follows months of dissatisfaction with the Syrian authorities confronted with a growing economic crisis. The living conditions in the areas controlled by the Syrian regime deteriorate more due to the food and energy inflation exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
“People across the country live in the fear of being arrested for expressed their opinion, or because they belong to a dissenting political party, make reports or defend human rights,” said, This month, the United Nations Human Rights Council.