Russia Intervenes to ‘Control Corruption’ in Syrian Army

A fighter from Faylaq al-Sham, one of the factions of the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) factions, is seen holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a position in the village of Kiridiyah, about 30 kilometres west of the northern town of Manbij, on January 15, 2019. Bakr ALKASEM / AFP
A fighter from Faylaq al-Sham, one of the factions of the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) factions, is seen holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a position in the village of Kiridiyah, about 30 kilometres west of the northern town of Manbij, on January 15, 2019. Bakr ALKASEM / AFP
TT
20

Russia Intervenes to ‘Control Corruption’ in Syrian Army

A fighter from Faylaq al-Sham, one of the factions of the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) factions, is seen holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a position in the village of Kiridiyah, about 30 kilometres west of the northern town of Manbij, on January 15, 2019. Bakr ALKASEM / AFP
A fighter from Faylaq al-Sham, one of the factions of the Turkish-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) factions, is seen holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle at a position in the village of Kiridiyah, about 30 kilometres west of the northern town of Manbij, on January 15, 2019. Bakr ALKASEM / AFP

Russia has exerted pressure on Damascus to establish an inspection committee capable of controling corruption in the Syrian army, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat Tuesday.

“The Army Command has established a committee of seven officers tasked with inspecting military units and with holding meetings with soldiers and officers to fight the spread of rampant corruption in the ranks of the military during the seven-year war,” the sources explained.

They said members of the inspection committee are tasked with making unannounced visits to the units to check the presence of soldiers at all times.

“The committee checks the length of their hair, the color of their skin, and then asks them questions on the type of breakfast or lunch they had in the past days. They later compare the answers with the list of menu provided by the unit,” the sources said.

Many officers have not been pleased with the committee’s formation.

The sources said that corruption cases include the exemption of several soldiers from their missions in exchange for a monthly salary paid to the officer in charge.

Separately, the Turkish president’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, told a news conference in Ankara Tuesday that Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to hold talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow on January 23 to discuss “among other issues the situation in Idlib and cooperation with Russia within the framework of the US decision to withdraw troops from Syria.”

The Russian side has not yet issued a confirmation on the new summit.

At the end of 2018, a high-ranking Turkish delegation including Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar held talks with their Russian counterparts in Moscow on the situation in Idlib and east of the Euphrates River.



Palestine Action Wins Bid to Challenge UK Ban Under Anti-terrorism Laws

A Palestinian flag is seen, outside London's High Court as judges decide whether the co-founder of Palestine Action can challenge the UK government's ban on the group, in London, Britain, July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville
A Palestinian flag is seen, outside London's High Court as judges decide whether the co-founder of Palestine Action can challenge the UK government's ban on the group, in London, Britain, July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville
TT
20

Palestine Action Wins Bid to Challenge UK Ban Under Anti-terrorism Laws

A Palestinian flag is seen, outside London's High Court as judges decide whether the co-founder of Palestine Action can challenge the UK government's ban on the group, in London, Britain, July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville
A Palestinian flag is seen, outside London's High Court as judges decide whether the co-founder of Palestine Action can challenge the UK government's ban on the group, in London, Britain, July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville

The co-founder of a pro-Palestinian campaign group on Wednesday won her bid to bring a legal challenge against the British government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws.

Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, asked London's High Court to give the go-ahead for a full challenge to the group's proscription, which was made on the grounds it committed or participated in acts of terrorism.

Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment. It accuses Britain's government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Earlier this month, the High Court refused Ammori's application to pause the ban and, following an unsuccessful last-ditch appeal, Palestine Action's proscription came into effect just after midnight on July 5, Reuters reported.

Proscription makes it a crime to be a member of the group, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Judge Martin Chamberlain granted permission for Ammori to bring a judicial review, saying her case that proscription amounted to a disproportionate interference with her and others' right to freedom of expression was "reasonably arguable".

Dozens of people have been arrested for holding placards purportedly supporting the group since the ban, and Ammori's lawyers say people expressing support for the Palestinian cause have also been subject to increased scrutiny from police.

However, Britain's interior minister Yvette Cooper has said violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest and that Palestine Action's activities – including breaking into a military base and damaging two planes – justify proscription.

Israel has repeatedly denied committing abuses in its war in Gaza, which began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023.