The government’s decision to remove Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the list of proscribed terrorist organisations will mean closer engagement with the new Syrian government and support UK foreign and domestic priorities, from counter-terrorism to migration and chemical weapons destruction.
Deproscribing HTS is part of the UK’s response to the significant developments in Syria since forces led by President Ahmed Al Sharaa toppled the Assad regime last December. HTS was originally listed as an alias of proscribed organisation Al-Qa’ida in 2017.
The former Foreign Secretary’s visit to Syria in July renewed the diplomatic relationship between the UK and Syria. The UK will continue to press for genuine progress and hold the Syrian government accountable for its actions in fighting terrorism and restoring stability in Syria and the wider region. We will continue to judge the new Syrian government on their actions not on their words.
Daesh remains a significant threat in Syria. The deproscription of HTS will support this government’s engagement on the counter-Daesh mission in Syria, in turn reducing the threat to the UK.
Deproscription will also support closer working with Syria to eliminate the Assad regime’s chemical weapons programme. This government welcomes the Syrian President’s commitment to destroy these weapons once and for all.
This decision aligns with the announcement made by the United States earlier this year to remove HTS from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations.
This government will always put the safety and security of the British people first, which is why any deproscription decision is not taken lightly. The decision to remove HTS from the proscribed list has been made following detailed consultation with operational partners and other departments, and a robust assessment by the cross-government Proscription Review Group.
The government reserves the right to reassess proscription decisions in response to any emerging threats and will always take swift and decisive action in the interests of national security.
The deproscription of HTS will mean that the proscription offences set out in the Terrorism Act 2000, including the offences of membership and inviting support for proscribed organisations, will no longer apply to HTS. On completion of this deproscription, a total of 83 organisations will be proscribed by the UK.