Syrian president grants amnesty to non-fatal ‘terrorist crimes’

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced Saturday a general amnesty for those Syrians who have been involved in "terrorist crimes" before April 30, 2022, excluding those that led to the death of human beings - state media

“A general amnesty would be given to terrorist crimes committed by Syrians before April 30th, 2022, except those which led to death to a human being,” the state-owned SANA cited a decree by Assad. 

Syrians began an uprising against Assad family’s decades-long rule in 2011, leading to a civil war which has so far claimed the lives of over 350,000 civilians and combatants, according to the United Nations (UN).    
 
Assad’s troops, with the support of Russia and Iran, have been able to regain control of most parts of the country which were taken by rebels who are considered by Damascus as “terrorists” in the first years of the uprising. Although Syrian army has not clashed with the Kurdish forces - which controls the northeast party of the country - except for a number of skirmishes, the state media sometimes describes them as “terrorists” as well. 

The amnesty comes a couple of days before the Islamic feast, Eid al-Fitr.