The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest the complaint submitted by Mr. Nabil al-Mallah, former Minister of State for People’s Assembly Affairs, in which he details his ordeal with the suspension of his pension despite his retirement on March 13, 2000, his severing of ties with the Ba’ath Party in 2002, and his public stances against the ousted regime, documented in his published articles.
The Syrian Future Movement commends Mr. al-Mallah’s courage in expressing his suffering and affirms that his case is not an individual one, but rather reflects a broader problem concerning the suspension of pensions for a segment of civilian and military retirees, depriving them of an acquired right guaranteed by the constitution and the law, in the absence of clear and fair mechanisms for reviewing these cases.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that what Mr. al-Mallah and other retirees are suffering, whose pensions were suspended for security reasons under the ousted regime, is not merely an administrative procedure, but a violation of acquired rights, which are considered established legal principles in comparative legal systems. According to the principle of acquired rights, the right to a pension is considered an acquired right the moment the pension becomes due, that is, when the grounds for entitlement are met. It cannot be retroactively affected by subsequent legislation, but rather remains protected under the principle of legal certainty.
The Syrian Future Movement points out that this issue is not an exception, but rather affects a broad segment of Syrian retirees. Its significance is evident in the following figures:
- The number of pensions in Syria is approximately 541,679, with a total monthly payout of 487 billion Syrian pounds.
- Approximately 475,994 retirees benefited from the pension increase stipulated in Decree No. 135 of 2026.
- The General Organization for Social Insurance and Pensions disbursed over 124 billion Syrian pounds in pensions for May 2025, benefiting 274,104 civilians and 192,546 military personnel.
- The total number of retirees covered by social security reaches approximately 700,000.
The Syrian Future Movement notes that the transitional government, based on its commitment to transitional justice, announced on March 12, 2026, the resumption of pension payments for military and civilian retirees whose pensions had been suspended for security reasons, starting in April 2026, and opened online registration for the reinstatement of these suspended pensions.
However, the experiences of retirees, such as that of Professor Mallah, demonstrate a gap between official decisions and their actual implementation on the ground.
In this context, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates its consistent positions, published on its official website, which emphasize the priority of achieving social justice and protecting the rights of the most vulnerable groups, especially retirees. These positions include the statement “Reinstating 6,520 Employees Dismissed Due to the Revolution” (dated August 6, 2026), which stressed that “redressing the grievances of the victims of the former regime and restoring their rights is an indispensable condition for building a new Syria.”
Based on its national responsibility, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:
- The formation of an independent national committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the General Organization for Social Insurance, the Oversight and Inspection Authority, and representatives of retirees, to review the suspended files of retirees, decide on them according to clear and fair criteria, and establish a binding timetable for resolving these cases.
- Adopting the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” in the cases of suspended pensions, whereby pensions will be immediately reinstated for anyone not proven guilty of committing crimes against Syrians, in accordance with the government’s previous announcement that salaries would be paid “to those whose involvement in the bloodshed of Syrians has not been proven.”
- Establishing an electronic grievance mechanism that allows pensioners whose pensions have been suspended to submit their applications and documents electronically and follow up on their cases without the need for in-person visits, similar to the mechanism previously launched by the Ministry of Finance.
- Expediting the enactment of legislation that regulates the status of pensioners whose pensions have been suspended, ensuring that such practices are not repeated in the future, and establishing the principle that a pension is an acquired right that cannot be infringed upon except by a final court ruling.
- Launching an awareness campaign for pensioners about their legal rights, the mechanisms for claiming them, and the available channels for grievances, thereby strengthening the culture of rights and citizenship and contributing to building a new relationship between the state and its citizens based on trust and respect.
The Syrian Future Movement commends Professor Nabil al-Mallah’s courage in speaking out about his case and affirms its solidarity with him and all retirees suffering from the suspension of their pensions.
It reiterates that true justice is not achieved merely by issuing laws and decrees, but by implementing them on the ground and ensuring that rights reach their rightful recipients without discrimination or delay.
The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that addressing the cases of suspended retirees is a true test of the new state’s commitment to the principles of justice and equity, and its ability to turn the page on the past and build a future where the relationship between the state and its citizens is based on mutual trust and respect.
For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will remain a supporter of all that strengthens social justice and protects rights, a critic of all that hinders their realization, and a monitor of all that is accomplished on the ground, striving for a new Syria where justice and dignity prevail for all its citizens.
