Videos emerge showing Syria's new justice minister overseeing public executions in Idlib
Concerns are growing about the extremist nature of Syria's de facto authorities, who have already ordered sweeping reforms to the formerly secular education system
Fact-checking platform Verify-Sy on 4 January confirmed the authenticity of videos circulated on social media showing Syria's new minister of justice, Shadi Muhammad al-Waisi, overseeing the public execution of two women in the northwest city of Idlib as part of the application of Sharia law in January 2015 under the rule of the Al-Nusra Front – the precursor to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The two women were reportedly executed on charges of prostitution and adultery.
"To confirm this conclusively, and given the sensitivity of verification in conflict zones according to the adopted methodology, ‘Verify-sy’ reached out to several parties in the new Syrian administration. A senior official confirmed that the man in the videos is indeed the current Minister of Justice, Shadi al-Waisi, and at that time, he was a judge," Verify-Sy reports.
The unnamed official in the HTS-led interim government added that the videos “documents the enforcement of the law at a specific time and place, where the procedures were carried out in accordance with the laws in effect at that time.” However, he also claimed that the footage “reflects a stage we have moved beyond, in light of the current legal and procedural transformations, which makes it inappropriate to generalize it or use it to describe the current stage, given the differing circumstances and references.”
The official also claimed that the interim government led by former Al-Qaeda and ISIS warlord Ahmad al-Sharaa – formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani – will conduct a “thorough review” of “all legal actions taken during that period … to ensure the validity of the judgments and their alignment with standards of justice and fairness."
Waisi was appointed Justice Minister on 10 December by interim Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. Upon taking office, Waisi announced plans to remove all female judges from the judiciary.
The videos emerged on the day the French and German foreign ministers met with Sharaa in Damascus.
"We know the ideological affiliation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and what it has done in the past, but we also hear and see the desire for moderation and understanding with other important parties. We came to Syria with an 'outstretched hand' and 'clear expectations' from the new administration, and the administration will be judged by its actions," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters on Friday.