The Ministry of Information in the Assad regime’s government has issued a decree restricting the issuance of any press card solely to media entities licensed by the ministry. Loyalty to the regime has been emphasized in the decision, with pro-regime news outlets disseminating the document on Wednesday.
Dated March 5th, the document bears the signature of the Minister of Information, Boutros al-Hallaq. It stipulates that licensed media organizations are prohibited from issuing media cards to their employees. Instead, such cards must be exclusively issued by the Ministry of Information.
Hallaq emphasized that journalists lacking this official card are not authorized to operate in the media sphere, subject to legal consequences. Media outlets aligned with the Assad regime have distributed press cards resembling security passes, granting access to various locations in exchange for their propagation of pro-Assad narratives.
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This decision emerges amidst the backdrop of the ambiguous and contentious “media law amendment.” Media practitioners, including the correspondent of the Iranian channel Kawthar in Aleppo, perceive the decision as a betrayal, having utilized dispatches as a lifeline during wartime, only to face marginalization now that the government feels secure.
The editor-in-chief of a journalist linked with the Assad regime anticipates a forthcoming directive strictly prohibiting the employment of any journalist or administrator in licensed media institutions without Ministry of Information approval, under the threat of legal repercussions. He remarked on the lack of clarity regarding which laws or regulations govern such accountability.
Regime-aligned media professionals have criticized the confusion surrounding the new media law and have voiced discontent over its undisclosed provisions. Suhaib al-Masri, representing the Iranian militias, decries the scant information available, citing concerns over the suppression of journalistic freedom and government transparency.
The amendments encompass various aspects such as training, licensing, and the establishment of the National Committee for Drama. The functional structure, including staffing figures, is to be determined by decree, with internal regulations and executive instructions to be issued by the Minister of Information and the Assad regime, respectively.
The so-called People’s Assembly dubbed the “Applause Council,” has proposed a draft law to establish the Ministry of Information, supplanting the existing ministry established by Decree No. 186 of 1961.
Minister of Information, Hallaq, asserts that the approval of the draft law aims at modernizing and enhancing the ministry’s operations to adapt to evolving media landscapes.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
