In a session on Monday, Syria’s parliament authorized the prosecution of two MPs, Ayham Grikos and Madloul al-Aziz, signalling a wave of investigations into parliamentary members. According to the regime-aligned newspaper Al-Watan, the council approved the judiciary’s authority to investigate Grikos and al-Aziz. Should the charges prove unfounded, immunity for the MPs may be reinstated.
Sources close to the regime allege that Grikos and al-Aziz are implicated in corruption and the smuggling of prohibited goods, with al-Aziz’s name surfacing in a case from last April involving the illegal trafficking of fuel and weapons valued at around 16 billion Syrian pounds.
Dual Nationality Crisis in the Assembly
Parliament faces a growing crisis surrounding MPs with dual nationality. Recently, MP Anas Muhammad al-Khatib lost his seat for holding Jordanian citizenship, following similar dismissals of MPs Shadi Dabsi and Muhammad Hamsho for foreign nationalities. The regime has scheduled elections to fill vacant seats in Aleppo and Tartus, attempting to resolve the resulting representation issues.
Allegations of Foreign Influence and Expanding Investigations
Reports also link al-Aziz to Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) affiliates, suggesting he has backed security and economic initiatives aligned with Iranian interests, particularly in Deir ez-Zor, to bolster Iran’s regional control. Alongside Grikos and al-Aziz, three additional MPs—Mujahid Ismail, Khaled Zubaidi, and former MP Rasim al-Masri—are now under investigation for corruption, waste of public funds, and influence peddling.
These combined actions reflect a parliament in turmoil, grappling with internal divisions and allegations of loyalty to foreign interests.
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.
