Syria abolishes al-Assad-era ‘terrorism’ court as Kurdish tensions flare

Syria’s parliament ‌has voted to abolish an al-Assad-era “terrorism” court and nullify the ⁠legal effects of ⁠its rulings, in one of the first significant legislative moves by the country’s new assembly . The vote on Wednesday formalised the abolition of the court, which Syria’s new authorities had already treated as defunct, state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV reported. The Counter-Terrorism Court, ⁠established in 2012, was used to prosecute thousands of Syrians for offences deemed “terrorism-related” ⁠under ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. Wednesday’s vote came during the opening ⁠weeks of the first parliament formed since al-Assad was toppled. The chamber convened for the first time in July .