Tens of Thousands Celebrate First Anniversary of Assad Regime Collapse in Damascus

Tens of thousands of Syrians flooded the streets of Damascus on Monday to commemorate the first anniversary of the Assad regime’s collapse, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s history.

The jubilant celebrations come exactly one year after former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled the capital as rebel forces swept through the country in a lightning offensive. The rapid military advance ended five decades of Assad family rule and ushered in a new chapter in Syrian politics.

The past year has witnessed sweeping transformations across Syria’s political landscape, culminating in a diplomatic breakthrough with the United States. In an unprecedented development, President Donald Trump hosted interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, signaling a dramatic shift in U.S.-Syrian relations.

“We are doing everything within our power to make sure the Government of Syria continues to do what was intended, which is substantial, in order to build a true and prosperous Country,” Trump stated in a December social media post.

One of the most significant policy changes has been the impending rollback of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, the United States’ most restrictive sanctions on Syria since its enactment in 2019. A full repeal of these sanctions has been written into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is slated for a vote in the House this week.

Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force who helped draft and name the original sanctions bill, told Fox News Digital: “Every Syrian is celebrating liberation and now celebrating the removal of the Caesar Act. Caesar was shattering Syria’s economy and Syria’s future, even if everything else went well. And now, Syria has true hope.”

Despite the optimistic atmosphere, Syria faces immense challenges. The daunting task of rebuilding includes not only physical reconstruction and economic revitalization but also seeking justice for countless families still waiting for answers about loved ones who disappeared under the Assad regime.

According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, more than 170,000 people remain forcibly disappeared in Syria between March 2011 and August 2025. An overwhelming majority were held in former Assad regime detention centers.

The country has also experienced outbreaks of sectarian violence this year, most notably in Sweida, where Druze militias, Sunni Bedouin tribes, and Syrian government forces engaged in deadly clashes.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford noted a significant development in the new government’s approach to human rights abuses: “This new President Ahmed al-Sharaa has put on trial, publicly, on live television in Syria, more than a dozen security force members who are charged with violating human rights, such as extrajudicial killing and illegal detention and torture.”

Ford added, “If they are convicted and held accountable, that will be remarkable. All the more remarkable under the presidency of a man who used to be in al Qaeda.”

Al-Sharaa’s past has been a point of contention in international circles. Also known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, he previously led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist group whose foreign terrorist organization designation was formally revoked by the U.S. State Department in July.

President Trump has met al-Sharaa three times since returning to the White House and has urged Israel to maintain a “strong and true dialogue” with Damascus amid Israeli ground incursions into southern Syria.

In a significant diplomatic development, al-Sharaa earlier this year called on the Russian government to hand over Assad, who was granted asylum in Moscow, to face justice for atrocities committed during his time in power.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), a longtime advocate for the Syrian people and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, characterized the past year as transformative: “The progress we’ve seen in the year since the fall of dictator Assad is incredible. Syria has transformed from a Putin puppet and Iranian regime ally to a partner of the United States, joining the coalition against ISIS and removing Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, and ISIS.”

Wilson added, “There is progress to be made, but absent these bold and visionary actions to give Syria a chance, the country would descend into factionalized chaos to be exploited by terrorists. Syria has a rich, multi-ethnic, and religiously pluralistic history. The people suffered over half a century under sadistic socialist Assad.”

As celebrations continue throughout Damascus, the international community watches closely to see if Syria’s new leadership can navigate the complex path toward rebuilding a nation devastated by years of conflict.