Damascus: Syrian government on Tuesday passed a bill to lift 48-year-old state of emergency law, just hours after security forces fired on protesters.
To lift the state of emergency, which existed for 48-years in the country is a key demand of anti-government protesters who have been holding protests across the country for weeks.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was yet to sign the legislation, but his signature was a formality, a senior lawyer said.
The Syrian government also approved the abolition of the state security court which dealt with the trials of political prisoners and passed a new law allowing peaceful demonstrations – but only if approved by the interior ministry, the country’s official SANA news agency reported.
However the interior ministry also passed a law that says citizens must obtain permission to demonstrate, the agency said, hours after the ministry imposed a total ban on political gatherings.
Syria’s emergency law gave the government a free hand to arrest people without charge and extended the state’s authority into virtually every aspect of citizens’ lives.
Hours before the decision, security forces fired on protesters that had gathered in the city of Homs, killing at least six people.
Rights groups say that more than 200 people have been killed in the protests which started in the southern city of Daraa one month ago, inspired by uprisings gripping Arab nations.
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