UK Drops Terror Label for HTS Despite Massacres

By Staff, Agencies

The British government has officially removed the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] from its list of proscribed terrorist organizations, a move it says is necessary to engage with Syria’s new regime following the fall of the government of Bashar al-Assad.

An order was laid in parliament on Tuesday to de-proscribe the group, which was previously listed as an alias of al-Qaeda.

The UK government stated that the decision enables “closer engagement with the new Syrian government” led by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, also known as Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is a former al-Qaeda and Daesh commander.

“This supports a range of UK priorities, including counter-terrorism cooperation, migration management, and the elimination of Syria’s remaining chemical weapons,” a government statement read.

The announcement follows former Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to Syria in July, which marked the first high-level diplomatic contact between the two nations in over a decade.

Officials argued that de-proscribing the HTS would “support engagement on the counter-Daesh mission in Syria,” thereby helping to reduce threats to the UK.

“This government will always put the safety and security of the British people first,” the statement said, adding that the UK “reserves the right to reassess proscription decisions in response to any emerging threats.”

The decision comes despite extensive evidence of war crimes and brutal repression under the HTS regime, particularly against minority communities such as the Alawites, who have suffered targeted violence.

According to the monitor, there were 10,955 recorded deaths throughout the country during the reporting period, which included 8,422 civilians, of whom 463 were children and 636 were women, in addition to 3,054 cases of field executions.

Since the HTS forces took over, Syria has seen waves of sectarian and regional violence.

Britain cut ties with Syria in 2011 amid Western-backed unrest, later joining attacks on Syrian forces. Since Assad’s ouster in 2024 by a foreign-backed offensive led by Jolani, the UK has eased sanctions and pledged $129 million in aid—moves critics say legitimize a regime tied to extremist groups and ignore the West’s role in Syria’s devastation.

Britain’s move follows similar steps by the United States, which is lifting sanctions and preparing to remove Syria and its turncoat leaders from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.