The Syrian Future Movement affirms its unwavering commitment to freedom of expression and freedom of access to information as two fundamental pillars for building a modern, democratic, and civil Syrian state, based on the principles of equal citizenship, transparency, and the active participation of all its citizens.
The Syrian Future Movement views World Day Against Internet Censorship, launched by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on March 12, 2008, as an opportunity to emphasize that a free and open internet is a vital tool for liberation in our digital age, enabling the exchange of ideas, fostering collective awareness, and supporting peaceful social and political movements toward positive change.
The Syrian Future Movement points to recent reports revealing a continuous decline in internet freedom globally. The “Freedom on the Net 2025” report, published by Freedom House in November 2025, indicated that internet freedom had declined for the fifteenth consecutive year, with the situation deteriorating in 27 out of the 72 countries assessed (between June 2024 and May 2025), while 17 countries showed relative improvement. The report also highlights that more than half the world’s population lives in severely restricted or extremely dangerous digital environments, with technology increasingly used to suppress digital expression.
The Syrian Future Movement recalls the past reality in Syria, which witnessed comprehensive online censorship and the use of cybercrime laws to suppress critical voices. This resulted in Syria ranking very low in Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index (177 out of 180 in the 2025 index published in May/November 2025), and in previous Freedom on the Net reports, it was among the worst digital environments globally (with an internet freedom score of 17/100, “not free,” in related reports).
The Syrian Future Movement welcomes the political transformations that have led to a noticeable improvement in some freedom indicators, as highlighted in the “Freedom in the World 2025” report issued by Freedom House in February/March 2025. Syria recorded an improvement in its overall score (from 1 to 5/100), with the mass release of political prisoners and the easing of restrictions on movement, assembly, and the media, thus opening up real prospects for improving the media and expression environment. However, the Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that this relative improvement remains limited and insufficient.
Official promises must be translated into tangible and sustainable reforms, including:
- Removing remaining restrictions on access to websites and platforms.
- Ensuring that centralized censorship does not return.
- Strengthening the protection of digital activists and journalists.
- Enacting constitutional legislation that guarantees internet freedom as a fundamental right.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on all national forces and transitional institutions to adopt a future vision that makes the internet a free space reflecting the diversity of Syrian society, supporting innovation, education, and the digital economy, and protecting the right to freedom of expression without fear or repression.
The Syrian Future Movement affirms its commitment to supporting projects that promote digital literacy, combat censorship, and empower Syrian youth to use technology as a tool for national development and progress.
We also believe that the Syria of the future deserves a free internet that expresses its free will and builds its bright future.
