Syria cuts life imprisonment to 20 years under new decree
Shafaq News- Damascus
Syrian transitional President Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Wednesday issued a legislative decree granting a general amnesty for crimes committed before its issuance, under specified conditions and exclusions.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), the decree commutes life imprisonment sentences to 20 years, except in cases involving personal harm unless the victim waives their private right. A three-month period has been set for filing such claims, after which the sentence reduction takes effect automatically.
It also provides full exemption from punishment for inmates suffering from incurable terminal illnesses requiring continuous care, as well as prisoners aged 70 or older at the time of issuance, including in certain otherwise excluded crimes under defined conditions.
Still, the amnesty excludes serious offenses, including “grave violations against the Syrian people,” torture, human trafficking, prostitution, and specific narcotics crimes.
The decree will enter into force upon publication in the official gazette, SANA said.
Syria’s prison system holds thousands of inmates, with field estimates indicating roughly 10,500 detainees in northeast detention centers alone, including major facilities like Ghwayran prison. Meanwhile, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) has reported at least 1,108 arbitrary arrest and detention cases in 2025.
