Canada on Friday removed Syria from its list of states that support terrorism and revoked the “terrorist entity” designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), joining a growing number of Western countries easing restrictions on Damascus. The decision comes after HTS ousted former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad last December and assumed control of the government.
“These decisions were not taken lightly,” Canada’s foreign ministry said in a statement. It added that the steps are “in line with recent decisions taken by our allies, including the United Kingdom and the United States, and follow the efforts by the Syrian transitional government to advance Syria’s stability.”
Canada had originally listed Syria as a “state supporter of terrorism” in 2012, following Assad’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests that escalated into a devastating civil war.
HTS, long sanctioned for its past links to Al-Qaeda, has been delisted by several Western governments to enable closer cooperation with Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Since assuming power, the new Syrian authorities have attempted to distance themselves from the country’s turbulent past and project a more moderate and reform-oriented image both domestically and internationally.
Despite easing some sanctions, Canada said it will maintain restrictions on 56 Syrian individuals, including former officials from the Assad regime and members of the Assad family.
