Syria celebrates anniversary of Assad's toppling, as Caesar sanctions to be lifted

Celebrations are underway across Syria as the country marks the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime rule, marred by persecution, and the end to 14 years of civil war.

Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, performed morning prayers at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, calling on Syrians to rebuild a just and strong nation.

"From north to south and from east to west, God willing, we will rebuild a strong Syria with a structure befitting its present and past," he said.

"The current phase requires the unification of efforts by all citizens to build a strong Syria, consolidate its stability, safeguard its sovereignty, and achieve a future befitting the sacrifices of its people."

As part of the celebrations, which saw broadcasts from minarets across the country, military parades were also held across several cities. 

According to Syria's state news agency SANA, France, the UAE and Qatar extended congratulations to the country.

Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Kurdish-led SDF, a force which comes under the administration of a rival authority in Syria's northeast, also congratulated Syria, while reaffirming the SDF's commitment to an integration agreement signed with the government on 10 March that is yet to be implemented.

"The current phase imposes upon everyone a shared national responsibility and an inclusive dialogue that places the interests of Syrians above all other considerations," he said.

His statement comes after the SDF announced a ban on celebration between 7 and 8 December, citing "current security conditions".

The UN's Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, also joined in on the congratulations, praising the "resilience and courage of the Syrian people, who never stopped nurturing hope despite enduring unimaginable hardship".

Alongside pledging to stand behind Syria's transition, Guterres said that the coming year was an opportunity to "rebuild shattered communities and heal deep divisions".

"It is an opportunity to forge a nation where every Syrian - regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or political affiliation - can live securely, equally, and with dignity."

Meanwhile, sanctions on Syria, which have seen international waivers following the fall of the regime, are set to be further reduced with the repeal of the US Caesar sanctions.

A provision included in the National Defense Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026, a bill that authorises the budget for the US Department of Defence, is set to repeal the sanctions package from 2019.

The draft document, which has passed the Senate but needs approval from the House of Representatives, states "The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019… is hereby repealed".

However, conditions on the act include regular reports to Congress, the first being 90 days after the act and every 180 days thereafter, on six actions being taken by the Syrian government.

These include the fight against the Islamic State group, security for religious and ethnic minorities, unprovoked military actions against neighbours, including Israel, financing and harbouring US-designated terrorists, the removal of foreign fighters from the government, and investigating and prosecuting those involved in sectarian massacres over the last year.

The provision states that the US government must present the findings to the Syrian government and that Congress can reimpose sanctions if the conditions above are not met for two reporting periods.

The Trump administration has long called on Congress to lift the sanctions and has issued waivers on them following the fall of Assad.

Marking the first anniversary of fall of the regime, the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) released an updated report on its findings on human rights violations by the regime.

This includes the killing of 202,021 civilians over the course of the war and the forced disappearance of 160,123 people. SNHR registered 45,032 people who have been killed under torture. SNHR also documented the identities of 16,200 people who are implicated in the crimes of the former regime.

The report recommends that the current government commit "to the principles of transitional justice", which many human rights groups see as an important part of Syria’s post-war healing process.