Syria govt pledges ‘rule of law’ after Assad’s overthrow

Damascus: Syria´s interim government vowed on Thursday to institute the “rule of law” after years of abuses under ousted president Bashar al-Assad, as the United States warned against any action that risked triggering further conflict.

Assad fled Syria after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and its allies, which brought a sudden end to five decades of iron-fisted rule by his clan.

Syrians across the country and around the world erupted in celebration after enduring an era during which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and nearly 14 years of war that killed 500,000 people and displaced millions.

“We were living in oppression, we were unable to speak,” Ibtissam Kaab, a resident of Assad’s hometown Qardaha, told AFP. “Whenever we wanted to speak, they threatened to harm us and our children.”

The new government’s spokesman told AFP on Thursday that the country’s constitution and parliament would be suspended for the duration of a three-month transition.

“A judicial and human rights committee will be established to examine the constitution and then introduce amendments,” Obaida Arnaout said.