Staff writer Emily Ng interviews the head of the KCL Free Syrian Society, Deema Al-Barazi.
In December of 2024, Bashar al Assad fled into hiding. It marked the end of a brutal dictatorship under the Assads that has gripped the country for almost half a century. Key opposition groups, notably Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), captured Damascus on December 8, following the rapid collapse of the ex-President’s military forces. Celebrating Syrians filled the streets, and political prisoners of the regime were freed.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of HTS, has appointed a transitional government to provide basic public services until March 1. Sharaa insists on his belief in constitutional rule, and remains adamant that the HTS is not a terrorist group.
However, the current situation in Syria remains precarious. The EU and the US continue to raise concerns over the human rights credentials of the islamist HTS and are reluctant to lift sanctions.
Meanwhile, several armed groups, and their international backers, continue to vye for control, exacerbating tensions: the US backs the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to prevent the re-emergence of the Islamic State, while Turkey funds the Syrian National Army (SNA) to oppose the SDF for its connections to Kurdish insurgents. Meanwhile, Israel has attacked Syrian military assets and chemical weapons facilities.
There is a new hope following the expulsion of Assad. Yet, the situation remains fraught. In an interview with Roar, Deema gives her thoughts on the current situation, and what she thinks the future may hold for Syria.
What are your opinions on the sanctions imposed on Syria by other countries on allegations of human rights abuses? Was this helpful, or did it just cripple the Syrian economy further?
Though the sanctions have been aimed at both the Assad regime and the opposition groups, the effect of these sanctions were greater on the Assad regime. For instance, America passed the Caesar Act of 2019 to impose sanctions on members of Assad’s party. I believe that the sanctions are necessary, because it pressures dictators who commit human rights abuses. And when France put arrest warrants in place, it stopped Assad from being able to attend multinational events such as COP, where Assad’s political power and legitimacy would be reinforced.
The economy was in fact completely shaken. Everything was expensive – we’re talking about a single banana costing £10, 90% of the population was under the poverty line. But this was entirely to do with the Assad regime, not because of the sanctions. Assad stole a lot of national resources, such as petrol.
In fact, I think the problem with the sanctions is that they were imposed too late. We had seen torture in prisons, forced disappearances, and the deployment of chemical weapons against civilians; Syria has had human rights violations dating back to the rule of Assad’s father, Hafez, and only got worse during the revolution. The sanctions with the most effect were imposed around 2020, and even France’s arrest warrant for Assad was made in 2023: these, although necessary, came too late.
Now that Assad is no longer in power, the sanctions need to be lifted over Syria. Sanctions on the groups currently governing Syria must also be lifted. They are the interim government in Syria until the infrastructure is built for the proper establishment of a new government. They are seeking international support in developing the country, implementing electoral procedures, and fostering the capabilities of the ministries. These all show a willingness to meet international standards for good governance. We need to allow Syria to recover and prosper. Having these sanctions will only restrict its growth.
It seems that Western governments are skeptical of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that dominates the formation of the new transitional government. Do you think the overthrow of Assad is a positive change? Is there potential for the situation to be worse?
If you ask any Syrian, you will find that things cannot get worse than they were under the Assad regime. There have been videos of torture methods, mass graves of a hundreds of thousand, forced disappearances of thousands: every single Syrian family will have members who have been forcibly displaced. There is not one person in Syria who hasn’t been affected. So to even ask that question rather undermines what the Syrians have been through under the Assad regime.
Do you think democracy is possible in these circumstances?
I think it is important to clarify that the HTS does not have total governing power. It has formed coalitions with other opposition groups, such as the Free Syrian Army. So this isn’t a situation of a one-party, authoritarian governance.
I do think that democracy will happen, but this will take time. After all, we have been under a dictatorship for 50 years. We still need to build the infrastructure for a democracy, build political parties, and get people to register to vote.
What do you think it is like to live under the new transitional government?
I don’t currently live in Syria, but from the videos I’ve seen, people seem to be overjoyed. Parties are happening all the time, the ‘Free Syrian’ flag is being flown everywhere, and the economy is already showing signs of recovery.
What is your idea of what life will be like in Syria after the transitional government?
This is impossible to say, but I’m very optimistic, as are many other Syrians. I think what’s important is that there is a community spirit: Syrians have taken to the streets to rebuild their homes, clean up the destruction, and rebuild universities. I have hope that things will turn around.
