Syrian Future Movement Following with great concern the statement issued by the Al-Hasakah branch of the Bar Association on August 24, 2023, signed by the head of the branch council, lawyer Abdul Razzaq Ahmed, which prohibits “all work” in response to a request from the Autonomous Administration, we strongly condemn this decision as it has disturbing implications that affect the essence of civil liberties and the independence of trade unions.
Syrian Future Movement This decision is a serious example of the encroachment of the executive-security authority on the public space in the Syrian Jazira regions, and a fundamental breach of the promises of the Autonomous Administration regarding democratic decentralization and the protection of basic rights, as stated in many of its founding documents.
Syrian Future Movement We call on the SDF to issue an immediate official statement explaining the legal basis for this request and the corrective measures that will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such violations. We also call on the Central Federation of Bar Associations in Damascus to hold the Hasaka branch accountable for the legitimacy of its compliance with a directive not issued by a legal authority recognized by the constitution.
Syrian Future Movement Renews its call to activate the outcomes of the Al-Sharaa-Abadi meeting held in March 2025, which emphasized the need to separate justice institutions and unions from military and security arms, and the need to involve Syrian civil and political forces in formulating any administrative understandings regarding areas outside the regime’s control, as we believe that ignoring these principles reinforces the logic of the security administration and undermines the chances of building an inclusive social contract.
Syrian Future Movement He warns of the negative repercussions of repeating such decisions, especially the undermining of citizens’ confidence in institutions that are supposed to be independent, such as trade unions, weakening the civil movement, which has always been a social safety valve in the northeastern regions, tarnishing the image of the Autonomous Administration before the international community, especially donors who require good governance and respect for civil rights, and feeding internal division as the law becomes a top-down, non-participatory tool.
Syrian Future Movement Renews its commitment to building a civil and democratic state that respects the independence of institutions and derives its legitimacy from the rule of law rather than the logic of force, and calls on all national forces to stand in solidarity in defense of freedoms and dignity, regardless of the different areas of control.
