Syria govt pledges 'rule of law' after Assad's overthrow

Syria's interim government vowed on Thursday to institute the "rule of law" after years of abuses under ousted president Bashar Al Assad, as G7 powers pushed for an inclusive transition.

Assad fled Syria after a lightning offensive spearheaded by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group and its allies, which brought a sudden end to five decades of iron-fisted rule by his clan.

Syrians across the country and around the world erupted in celebration after enduring an era during which suspected dissidents were jailed or killed, and nearly 14 years of war that killed 500,000 people and displaced millions.

"We were living in oppression, we were unable to speak," Ibtissam Kaab, a resident of Assad's hometown Qardaha, told AFP.

"Whenever we wanted to speak, they threatened to harm us and our children."

The new government's spokesman told AFP on Thursday the country's constitution and parliament would be suspended for the duration of a three-month transition.

"A judicial and human rights committee will be established to examine the constitution and then introduce amendments," Obaida Arnaout told AFP.

Speaking at the state television headquarters, seized by the new rebel authorities, Arnaout said they would institute the "rule of law".

"All those who committed crimes against the Syrian people will be judged in accordance with the law," he added.

Asked about religious and personal freedoms, he said "we respect religious and cultural diversity in Syria", adding that they would remain unchanged.

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) powers said on Thursday they were ready to support the transition to an "inclusive and non-sectarian" government in Syria.

In a statement, they called for the protection of human rights, including those of women and minorities, while emphasising "the importance of holding the Assad regime accountable for its crimes".

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan on Thursday to kick off a crisis tour to address the aftermath of Assad's overthrow.

He has called for an "inclusive" process to form Syria's next government that includes protections for minorities.

The State Department said he would call for a Syria that is not "a base of terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbours".

The joy sparked by Assad's overthrow has been accompanied by uncertainty about the future of the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country.

The HTS is rooted in Syria's branch of Al Qaeda and is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by many Western governments, though it has sought to moderate its rhetoric.

Assad is a member of the Alawite community, and long sought to present himself as the sole protector of the country's minorities.

"Precisely because we are Islamic, we will guarantee the rights of all people and all sects in Syria," Mohammad Al Bashir, the transitional head of government, told Italian daily Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Wednesday.

The Kurdish administration that holds swathes of Syria's northeast said on Thursday it will adopt the three-starred independence flag used by the rebels.

In a statement, it described the flag as a "symbol of this new stage, as it expresses the aspirations of the Syrian people towards freedom, dignity and national unity".

The new rulers have also pledged justice for the victims of Assad's rule, with HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al Jolani vowing that officials involved in torturing detainees will not be pardoned.

Al Jolani, now using his real name Ahmed Al Sharaa, also urged "countries to hand over any of those criminals who may have fled so they can be brought to justice".

The United Nations' envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, too urged an inclusive process, telling AFP that his "biggest concern is that the transition will create new contradictions in the manner that could lead to new civil strife".