Al-Sharaa Marks First Year After Assad’s Fall With Pledge of Justice as Syria Celebrates Liberation Day By The Media Line Staff Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa marked one year since the fall of Bashar Assad by declaring that the country had entered what he described as a new era, as massive crowds filled streets nationwide on Monday to commemorate the anniversary […]
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The Media Line: Al-Sharaa Marks First Year After Assad’s Fall With Pledge of Justice as Syria Celebrates Liberation Day
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Al-Sharaa Marks First Year After Assad’s Fall With Pledge of Justice as Syria Celebrates Liberation Day
By The Media Line Staff
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa marked one year since the fall of Bashar Assad by declaring that the country had entered what he described as a new era, as massive crowds filled streets nationwide on Monday to commemorate the anniversary of the regime’s collapse. The date marks the takeover of Damascus on December 8 last year, when al-Sharaa’s Islamist-led alliance seized the capital after a rapid advance that ended more than 50 years of Assad family rule.
In Damascus and other major cities, residents staged predawn celebrations, with mosques broadcasting prayers and crowds waving flags. As fireworks spread across city skylines, al-Sharaa addressed the country, telling Syrians that the uprising had severed ties with past repression. He said the toppled era represented “despotism and tyranny,” adding that the country was turning the page toward “justice, benevolence… and peaceful coexistence.” He also restated “our commitment to the principle of transitional justice to ensure accountability for all those who violated the law and committed crimes against the Syrian people.”
The upheaval that brought down Assad did not resolve the country’s internal tensions. Deadly clashes erupted in Alawite coastal regions earlier this year after former regime loyalists confronted forces aligned with the new government, leaving large numbers dead. A separate wave of violence struck Syria’s Druze communities in As-Suwayda province in July, where videos showed executions and destroyed villages. The Syrian government announced investigative committees for both episodes, though tensions remain acute in each area.
Al-Sharaa’s first year also included repeated foreign travel as he sought international legitimacy. He visited the capitals of the Middle East, Europe, and South America and made two trips to the United States, including a meeting with President Donald Trump. Washington later sent envoy Thomas Bush to Damascus with a letter from the president telling al-Sharaa, “You will be a great leader, and the United States will help.”
Negotiations with Israel remain part of al-Sharaa’s public messaging. Speaking in Doha, he accused Israel of exporting regional instability and said ongoing talks, with U.S. involvement, must lead to Israeli withdrawal from territory seized after December 8, 2024. He also announced that presidential elections will take place in four years.
Large-scale public events marking the anniversary continue through the week, now officially recognized as “Liberation Day” in the new Syria.