Canada Joins US in Removing Syria from Terrorism Lists

Canada has officially removed Syria from its list of states that support terrorism, following a similar move by the United States and acknowledging steps by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government to promote national stability.

The announcement on Friday comes as Syria approaches the one-year anniversary of the ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.

In the same move, Canada also revoked the “terrorist” designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that had led the alliance instrumental in toppling al-Assad.

In a statement, Canada’s Foreign Ministry emphasized that the decisions were “not taken lightly.” The ministry said:

“These measures are in line with recent decisions taken by our allies, including the United Kingdom and the United States, and follow the efforts by the Syrian transitional government to advance Syria’s stability, build an inclusive and secure future for its citizens, and work alongside global partners to reinforce regional stability and counter terrorism.”

Syria had been listed as a “state supporter of terrorism” since 2012, after al-Assad’s violent suppression of pro-democracy protests escalated into civil war.

READ ALSO: US Removes Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa from Terrorism List

HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, had faced widespread international sanctions but has now been delisted by several Western nations to facilitate engagement with Syria’s new leadership.

Since assuming power, al-Sharaa’s government has sought to distance itself from past violence and project a more moderate image to both Syrians and the international community.

Canada stressed that sanctions remain in place against 56 Syrian individuals, including former officials from al-Assad’s regime and members of his family.

The United States partially suspended sanctions against Syria in June, later extending the suspension in November after meetings between al-Sharaa and U.S. officials at the White House.

Prior to that, the U.S. had removed al-Sharaa from its list of “specially designated global terrorists.”

Al-Sharaa, who formerly led al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, severed ties with the group in 2016.

Since then, he has publicly embraced his birth name, dropped the alias Abu Mohammed al-Julani, and promoted a vision of a tolerant, inclusive Syria.

Earlier this year, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly, affirming that Syria is “reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world” and seeking to strengthen economic ties with the U.S. and European Union.