{"id":27618,"date":"2025-06-11T07:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T04:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/de-facto-authority-without-legitimacy-a-legal-study-on-the-harasta-shura-council-after-assad\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T21:55:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T18:55:41","slug":"de-facto-authority-without-legitimacy-a-legal-study-on-the-harasta-shura-council-after-assad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stj-sy.org\/en\/de-facto-authority-without-legitimacy-a-legal-study-on-the-harasta-shura-council-after-assad\/","title":{"rendered":"“De Facto Authority Without Legitimacy”: A Legal Study on the ‘Harasta Shura Council’ After Assad"},"content":{"rendered":"

1. Introduction and Background<\/h4>\n

The Shura Council of Hay\u2019at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) was founded in 2017, in conjunction with the announcement of HTS\u2019s formation as a merger of several jihadist factions, most notably Jabhat Fath al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra), Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement, Liwa al-Haqq, Jaysh al-Sunna, and Jabhat Ansar al-Din.[1]<\/a> This union aimed to establish a more cohesive governing body capable of managing HTS-held territories and addressing military and political challenges. Accordingly, a need emerged for a high-level religious-consultative body to legitimize executive decisions and ensure broader leadership participation in decision-making.[2]<\/a> Thus, the Shura Council was formed, comprising leading figures from the founding factions and influential independent individuals.[3]<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2019, HTS announced the establishment of the \u201cGeneral Shura Council\u201d[4]<\/a> as a body akin to a \u201cPeople\u2019s Assembly,\u201d[5]<\/a> to reflect its openness toward the societal fabric in northwestern Syria. The council was tasked with representing both original residents and internally displaced persons in HTS-controlled areas[6]<\/a> and with acting as a substitute for formal parliamentary structures.[7]<\/a><\/p>\n

This report, prepared by the Syrians for Truth and Justice (STJ), traces the political and historical context behind the formation of the General Shura Council affiliated with HTS. It examines the council\u2019s evolution before the fall of the regime, then tracks changes following HTS\u2019s takeover of Damascus and its expanding influence. The report also explores the link between this central council and local Shura Councils established in several Syrian towns, with a case study focused on the Harasta Shura Council. It documents the council\u2019s intervention in civil and administrative affairs \u2013extending to education, health, and humanitarian sectors\u2013 through field testimonies. The report concludes with a legal analysis of these practices and presents recommendations to the transitional government, which STJ views as essential to ensuring the rule of law and restoring institutional governance in Syria.<\/p>\n

2. The Formation and Evolution of the Shura Council<\/h4>\n

This section reviews the political and historical context of the General Shura Council (2019) and the transformations it underwent before and after the fall of the Assad regime.<\/p>\n

I. Northwestern Syria Before the Fall of the Assad Regime<\/h5>\n

Based on information and testimonies collected by STJ, and crosschecked with open-source analyses and news reports,[8]<\/a> the key stages in the establishment and evolution of the General Shura Council can be outlined as follows:<\/p>\n