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Draft:Revolution Protection Law

Revolution Protection Law
Territorial extent Ba'athist Syria
Effective7 January 1965
Repealed8 December 2024 (de-facto)
Introduced byAmin al-Hafiz
Status: Repealed

Revolution Protection Law[1][2][3][4][5] (also known as the Opposition of the Revolution Law[6] or just Legislative Decree No. 6[6]) was repressive political legislation, passed by the Ba'athist Syrian president Amin al-Hafiz[7] in 1965 and prohibited any political and social activity aimed at undermining the "Ba'athist Revolution".[8] Under that law, written or verbal opposition to the goals of the revolution and any resistance to the socialist regime was criminalized with penalties reaching life imprisonment or even execution.[4][9] The law was not repealed until the fall of Ba'athism in Syria in 2024 (de-facto), after which it became invalid due to the collapse of the regime, that introduced it.

Background

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In 1963, Syria suffered a successful military coup by the Military Committee of the Ba'ath party. The coup brought the military to power, forming the National Council for the Revolutionary Command, which quickly started to consolidate power in the hands of the Syrian Ba'athists through a massive purges of non-Ba'athist groups (such as Nasserists) in the government and army.[10] Immediately after the coup, the Ba'athists also introduced a number of repressive measures, including declaring martial law.

Implementation

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Syrian officers during the Eli Cohen's Military Trial, 1965

The Revolution Protection Law was adopted on January 7, 1965[11][12] (according to other sources, in 1964[8]). The law prohibits any expression of opposition to the "aims Ba'athist Revolution" (Unity, Freedom, Socialism):[4] according to this law, "resistance" to the goals of the revolution was punishable by imprisonment from 3 to 15 years, and actions "directed against the socialist system" could result in life imprisonment or the death penalty. Among other things, the law prohibits "publishing news aimed at shaking the people's confidence in the revolution."[13][14][11][15] The Revolution Protection Law allows for the formation of military tribunals against individuals who "oppose the revolution of 1963:"[6] it's established the creation of "special military courts to try political cases," which were replaced by the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) in March 1968, established by Legislative Decree No. 47.[11][16][17][7][18] Together with the martial law, the Revolution Protection Law was intended to help the Ba'athist regime stay in power. Thus, under this law, people who had contact with foreign groups that could "harm the March 8 revolution" or people who stole and distributed information that was supposed to be secret to ensure state security were punished.[9]


Article 3(a) prohibits:

Acts which are considered contrary to the implementation of the socialist system in the state, whether they take place by action, speaking or writing or by any other means of expression or publication.[11][16]

Article 3(c) prohibits:

Offenses against the security of the state.[19]

Article 3(e) prohibits:

Opposition to the realization of unity among Arab countries, or opposition to or obstruction of any of the aims of the revolution by taking part in or inciting demonstrations, assemblies or riots, or by publication of false information with the intention of creating a state of chaos and shaking the confidence of the masses in the aims of the revolution.[11][16]

Criticism

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The law was criticized by anti-Ba'athist opposition and law enforcement organizations for its vagueness and imprecision, which meant that almost anyone could involuntarily violate it.[6] Thus, under this law, any group not belonging to the Ba'ath Party or (since 1972) the National Progressive Front (a coalition of leftist parties controlled by neo-Ba'athists) can be charged with such things as “carrying out activities opposed to the socialist system of the state” "and opposing the aims of the revolution" (Articles 3, and Articles 4 of Legislative Decree No. 6).[6] Among those subject to detention and arrest were human rights activists accused (under the same law) of participating in activities contrary to the goals of the Ba'athist revolution.[6] During the law's existence, a significant number of opposition or human rights activists were detained because they "posed a threat to the revolution": often, activists were arrested under this law at random and often without any trial at all.[4] There were demands for the repeal of the law and the abolition of military courts.[11][5] National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces declared the law invalid, along with other repressive Ba'athist laws.[20]

Abolition

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Ba'athist government never abolished Revolution Protection Law. But with beginning of Syrian civil war, in 2015, opposition forces declared abolition of this law on the territories under its control.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Special Report – Repressive Laws in Syria". www.shrc.org. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  2. ^ Jr, Charles J. Glasser (2013-02-06). International Libel and Privacy Handbook: A Global Reference for Journalists, Publishers, Webmasters, and Lawyers. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-41689-1.
  3. ^ Yildiz, Kerim (2005-10-20). The Kurds in Syria: The Forgotten People. Pluto Books. ISBN 978-1-84964-306-1.
  4. ^ a b c d Ismail, Salwa (2018-08-23). The Rule of Violence: Subjectivity, Memory and Government in Syria. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-57724-3.
  5. ^ a b "قانون حماية الثورة". www.shrc.org. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Syrian Arab Republic" (PDF).
  7. ^ a b "مرسوم إحداث محاكم عسكرية في سورية عام 1965". التاريخ السوري المعاصر (in Arabic). 2021-11-09. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  8. ^ a b Georges, Nael (2013-12-25). "The Syrian Regime Legal "Reforms" (II)" State of Emergency as the Trojan Horse of Counter-Terrorism - Legal Agenda". Legal Agenda. Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  9. ^ a b Agency, United States Central Intelligence (1965). Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts.
  10. ^ Mufti, Malik (1996). Sovereign creations: pan-arabism and political order in Syria and Iraq. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-3168-5.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "WALLS OF SILENCE: Media and Censorship in Syria" (PDF).
  12. ^ "Syrian Arab Republic: Briefing to the Human Rights Committee" (PDF).
  13. ^ George, Alan (April 2003). Syria: Neither Bread Nor Freedom. Zed Books. ISBN 978-1-84277-213-3.
  14. ^ "Freedom of the Press 2008 - Syria". Refworld. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  15. ^ House, Freedom (2007-12-14). Freedom of the Press 2007: A Global Survey of Media Independence. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. ISBN 978-0-7425-5582-2.
  16. ^ a b c Paul, James A.; Watch (Organization), Middle East (1990). Human Rights in Syria. Human Rights Watch. ISBN 978-0-929692-69-2.
  17. ^ Ziadeh, Radwan (2012-12-20). Power and Policy in Syria: Intelligence Services, Foreign Relations and Democracy in the Modern Middle East. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85771-915-7.
  18. ^ المالح, هيثم (2021-10-01). ذكريات على طريق الحياة الجزء الثالث (in Arabic). زقاق الكتب. ISBN 978-605-74478-2-1.
  19. ^ Paul, James A.; Watch (Organization), Middle East (1990). Human Rights in Syria. Human Rights Watch. ISBN 978-0-929692-69-2.
  20. ^ spare (2015-03-22). "Syrian Coalition Announces Military Law No. 2 of March 8, 1963 Null and Void". Syrian National Coalition Of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
  21. ^ Pierre.Akiki. "الائتلاف يلغي 8 مواد من الدستور السوري". العربي الجديد (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2023-03-13. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
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