DAMASCUS, Dec 29, (V7N) – Syria's newly appointed intelligence chief, Anas Khattab, announced plans on Saturday to dissolve and restructure the oppressive security apparatuses that operated under the regime of ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad.

Khattab, appointed following Assad's overthrow in early December, pledged to reform the institutions that symbolized decades of fear and repression.

In a statement via the official Sana news agency, Khattab acknowledged the suffering endured by Syrians under Assad's security agencies, which were notorious for their corruption and widespread use of torture.

"The security establishment will be reformed after dissolving all services and restructuring them in a way that honors our people," he said, emphasizing the end of what he termed "oppression and tyranny."

As Assad's regime collapsed, prisons were emptied, and officials and agents fled. Many of these facilities are now controlled by fighters from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group that spearheaded the coalition that seized power.

Thousands of Syrians have flocked to former detention centers, hoping to uncover the fates of missing relatives and friends.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), over 100,000 people perished in detention during the 13-year civil war, which claimed more than half a million lives.

Khattab's announcement coincided with the arrest of a former military justice general responsible for death sentences at the infamous Saydnaya prison, a site synonymous with brutality.

In Europe, several former senior Syrian intelligence officials have been convicted since 2022 for crimes including torture and other human rights abuses.

The announcement of reforms marks a significant shift in Syria's governance, aiming to replace decades of fear with accountability and transparency.

Observers are cautiously optimistic, as the country attempts to rebuild and heal from one of the most devastatingconflicts in recent history.

END/WD/RH/