Zaman al-Wasl was able to uncover one of the most insidious amnesties issued by Bashar al-Assad that extorts tens of thousands of Syrians who used to be employees that left the country "illegally", for fear of being killed, arrested or forced into the regime's army.
Al-Assad issued an amnesty on Spetemebr 15 reduced sentences for crime and pardons draft dodgers if they report for duty within three to six months.
Sources said that the regime had already issued sentences against those employees who had left their posts without leave or an official resignation request. These sentences often amounted to three years in prison, before the recent amnesty to drop the penalties.
According to the amnesty decree, the prison sentence of the employees shall be dropped on the condition that they pay a fine of 400,000 SYP (about $630), for all prosecutions to be dropped and for them to be able to return to Syria.
According to Reuters, the decree applies to crimes committed before Sept. 14, the presidency said. It reduces the death penalty to a life sentence of hard labor, and life sentences to 20 years, among other punishments.
Fugitives must turn themselves in within three months to benefit from the amnesty.
The amnesty does not cover Syrians who took up arms to fight the state, colluded with foreign nations against Syria, or joined insurgents, whom Damascus regards as terrorists.
During Syria’s war, the regime has issued similar amnesties before to pardon those evading mandatory military service, who can face years in prison.
Syria’s war, which spiraled out of an uprising in 2011, has killed hundreds of thousands of people, uprooted half the pre-war population, and created one of the world’s worst refugee crises.
Zaman Al Wasl
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.