Context
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has asked a legal committee to consider lifting notorious emergency laws, which have been in place for almost fifty years. The committee will finish its task by April 25, according to official news service Sana. The move comes one day after Assad pledged to foil a “scheme” against his country, but didn’t announce the ending of emergency rule as many had expected. This was his first address since anti-government protests erupted in the country a couple of weeks ago.
