Syrian President declares emergency law to be abolished within a week as new government sworn in

As the new Syrian government was sworn in on Saturday, President Bashar Assad declared that the emergency law in force since 1963 will be abolished within a week.

While noting that Syria is passing through a delicate phase and conspiracy is always there, Assad highlighted that his country was facing big challenge. “The government can’t make any progress without the public support,” he emphasized.

Assad expressed sorrow over the deaths in Syria since violence erupted. "We are sad for all the people we have lost and all the people injured, and consider them all martyrs," he said.

The Syrian President pointed out that the commission investigating the latest clashes is continuing its work to determine what happened and to hold accountable those responsible.
Prime Minister Adel Safar unveiled Thursday his new cabinet, which is expected to carry out broad reforms including the lifting of the emergency law imposed since the Baath party seized power.

Meanwhile, the official news agency SANA reported that Sergeant Major Issam Mohammad Hassan of Homs police force was martyred on Friday after he was assaulted by protestors in Homs.

Commander of Homs police Gen. Hamid Assad al-Murrai stated that after the Friday prayer, a protest marched from in front of Khaled Ibn al-Walid Mosque, heading towards the city center. Rioting and assaulting of security personnel took place during the protest, leading to the martyring of Sgt. Maj. Hassan after he was hit on the chest and head with sticks and rocks by protestors.

Sgt. Maj. Hassan was born in 1979 in Dweir Raslan, Tartous. He left behind a wife and two children. He will be laid to rest on Saturday at the Martyrs Cemetery, accompanied by a fitting official procession.

In other developments, a number of groups of citizens took to the streets after Friday prayer in different Syrian cities, chanting slogans advocating Syria, freedom and the martyrs without security force intervention. SANA said that most of these gatherings broke up after a short time and normal life prevailed in the residential areas.

In Daraa governorate, thousands of people gathered at the Justice Palace Square in the city after Friday prayer chanting slogans calling for freedom, without the presence of security or armed forces.

In the rest of the governorates, the cities of Derbassiyeh, Qamishli, Deir Ez-Zour, Homs,Banias, Jableh, Haffeh, Hama and some areas of Damascus countryside witnessed limited gatherings which broke up without friction with security forces, with life returning to normal afterwards.