Al-Assad ends the economic security court

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has abrogated the economic security court which was founded in 1977. It is the main extraordinary court in Syria in addition to the state security court which is specialized in political issues.

The Syrian official news agency SANA said that President al-Assad issued a legislative decree that calls to abrogate decree no. 46 of 1977, according to which the economic security court was established. A court which since then specialized in economic monitoring on activities of the state and citizens and carrying out of special trials because of its decisions that are not applicable to cassation.

Among the important issues existing before the economic security court at the meantime is the case of the former minister of industry Issam al-Zaem who is accused of freeing a guarantee for a German company estimated at millions of dollars and the persons who are accused in the collapse case of Zayzoun dam in 2002 which claimed the life of 22 persons.

The cases of this court are expected to be brought to the ordinary judiciary, which experts estimate at 500 cases. Among the main issues assumed by the court was the question of trying each of the former prime minister for economic affairs, Salim Yassin, and the former minister of transport, Mufid Abdul Kaim, at corruption cases in 2000, as well as bringing former prime minister Mahmoud al-Zou'bi was brought before under charges of corruption and misusing of post.