gotchanewsdaily.com 
“Germany proposes to take a smart approach to sanctions, providing relief for the Syrian population. Syrians now need a quick dividend from the transition of power,” German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock told reporters.
But Shar’a remains an enigmatic figure. He’s undergone a makeover, quickened over recent months, and has sought to distance himself from his jihadist past and ties to al Qaeda, framing it almost as a youthful indiscretion.
Certainly, while governing the rebel enclave of Idlib over the past eight years, HTS’ rule wasn’t as harsh as that of the Islamic State or the Taliban, focusing on governance and the effective delivery of local services. According to a study by Munqeth Othman Agha of the Middle East Institute, HTS “pursued a legitimacy-building strategy, adopting revolutionary nationalist rhetoric and engaging tribal leaders and community notables.” Accordingly, some civil society groups were able to operate and girls were able to attend classes — although some restrictions were still imposed on the latter.
However, HTS didn’t recognize independent political parties in Idlib, and stifled dissent, curtailing and hindering the activities of journalists and critics. The group also maintained tight control over the daily lives of civilians. “People were detained following comments made in private conversations pertaining to the cost of living or religious matters,” noted the U.N.’s 2022 Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.
Furthermore, “so-called morality codes disproportionately affected women and girls, amounting to gender-based discrimination in the enjoyment of their rights,” the report said. The morality police are known to have enforced dress codes on women.
HTS also denied detainees access to lawyers, and committed war crimes by “carrying out executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court.” There were corroborated reports of arbitrary arrests, torture and sexual violence, while a “spoils of war committee” seized houses not merely from suspected supporters of Assad, but also from those critical of HTS. The report noted that “the property of minority groups, such as Christians, were specifically targeted.”
