ISTANBUL

Syria's justice minister said Sunday that the government has demanded the handover of former President Bashar al-Assad and all those involved with him, as authorities move forward with a transitional justice process.

Mazhar al-Wais said a recently issued general amnesty decree was a “pressing necessity imposed by the complex legal and legislative reality,” describing it as constitutional and legally sound.

On Wednesday, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued a decree granting a general amnesty for some crimes and reducing sentences for others.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Wais said the decree began to be implemented immediately after its issuance, with 1,500 people released so far. He estimated that around half a million Syrians could benefit from the amnesty.

He stressed that the pardon does not cover those responsible for major crimes against Syrians, saying: “No one involved in (spilling) a single drop of blood against the Syrian people has been or will be released.”

On transitional justice, Wais said the ministry is following a “correct path” that rejects both revenge and impunity. He said trials under this framework are expected to begin “in the near future” once judicial files are completed with evidence and documentation.

Regarding accountability for former regime officials, Wais said the Syrian state has stressed “the necessity of handing over Bashar al-Assad and all those involved with him,” urging a “clear legal process that places states before their legal and moral obligations.”

“Syrian justice will not remain silent over any criminal, and we will pursue them through appropriate and internationally legitimate legal means,” he added.

Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long grip on power that began in 1963. A new transitional administration led by Sharaa was formed in January.