Agency Report
Syria’s new de facto ruler and leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) received an EU delegation led by German Foreign Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday.
Ahmed al-Sharaa hosted the ministers in the former palace of toppled long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in the capital Damascus. Al-Sharaa’s HTS led a coalition of armed groups who drove al-Assad from power around four weeks ago.
Al-Sharaa received Baerbock and Barrot at the entrance to the palace. The hard-line Islamist did not greet Baerbock with a handshake, a gesture he has consistently avoided when meeting women, but he extended his hand to Barrot.
After the Frenchman had initially placed his right hand on his heart in greeting, he then briefly took al-Sharaa’s hand.
The diplomats, whose travel plans were not announced in advance, are expected to outline conditions for a resumption of relations between Syria’s new de facto government and the European Union.
“A few weeks ago, a new hope was created, the hope of a sovereign Syria, a stable Syria and a peaceful Syria,” Barrot said after arriving in Damascus.
Baerbock said they traveled to Damascus “with this outstretched hand, but also with clear expectations of the new rulers.”
“A political new beginning between Europe and Syria, between Germany and Syria, is possible,” Baerbock said.
Baerbock and Barrot are the first EU foreign ministers to visit Syria since al-Assad’s overthrow.
They, on behalf of the EU’s foreign representative Kaja Kallas, held talks with representatives of the rebel-formed transitional government.
Al-Sharaa was formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. The HTS group emerged from the al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of the al-Qaeda network, and was previously affiliated with Islamic State.
The group has since broken away from both organizations, and al-Sharaa has sought to portray himself as a moderate in recent months, although HTS continues to be designated a terrorist organization by the EU and the United States, among others.
Baerbock had stated at the beginning of her visit to Syria that she would continue to judge the HTS by its actions.
‘Unimaginable’ horrors at al-Assad prison
Both foreign ministers toured the notorious Sednaya prison near Damascus on Friday, a symbol of the brutal rule under deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Members of the White Helmets, the Syrian civil defence organization, told the visiting European diplomats about conditions and atrocities committed by the al-Assad regime at the prison, popularly known simply as the “human slaughterhouse.”
Since 2011, human rights activists have documented systematic mass executions, torture and the disappearance of thousands of prisoners there during Syria’s brutal civil war.
While touring the prison, Baerbock said that efforts to support rights groups in Syria must continue and that the international community must support efforts to bring members of the deposed al-Assad regime to justice.
Barrot also asserted French determination to assist in investigating the crimes committed there.
“You simply can’t imagine the horror of some places,” Baerbock said, expressing her shock. “But people have gone through hell here near the Syrian capital Damascus. They were killed using methods that are unimaginable in a civilized world.”
Executions and torture were already documented during the reign of Bashar al-Assad’s father, Hafez, who died in 2000. Father and son ruled Syria with an iron fist for more than 50 years.
Baerbock demands protection for women, minorities
“A new beginning can only happen if the new Syrian society grants a place in the political process to all Syrians, women and men, of every ethnic or religious group, and provides rights and protection,” Baerbock said.
She added that these rights must be preserved and must “not be undermined potentially by overly long deadlines until elections or moves towards the Islamization of the judicial or education systems.”
Al-Sharaa recently stated that it could take around three years to present a new draft constitution, and another year until elections. The Arab country remains fragmented and divided along sectarian lines.
Even after al-Assad’s fall, hostile militias are fighting for power, and the HTS-backed transitional government does not hold control over large parts of the country.
Troops from several foreign powers, including Turkey, the US, Israel and Russia, are also stationed in different parts of the country.
Scepticism over the rebels’ past
“We know where the HTS ideologically comes from, what they have done in the past,” Baerbock stated. But she said there is also a desire for moderation and understanding with other key players. The initiation of talks with the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is a significant sign in this direction, she noted.
Given this, Baerbock stated, “We will continue to judge the HTS by their actions. Despite all scepticism, we must not miss the opportunity now to support the people in Syria at this crucial crossroads.”
Germany is also working to ensure that the intra-Syrian process is not disrupted from outside, the foreign minister explained.
This, she noted, includes respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity by all neighbouring states. Though she did not mention Turkey and Israel by name, those countries have been accused of pursuing their own interests in Syria.
Additionally, it is time for Russia to leave its military bases in Syria, she said. Moscow has been one of al-Assad’s most important allies for years.
In Baerbock’s discussions in Damascus, the potential return of Syrian refugees from Germany, as supported by the transitional Syrian government, is likely to be a topic.
Around 975,000 Syrians currently live in Germany, according to the German Interior Ministry. Most arrived in the country since 2015 as a result of the civil war.
