UK deproscribes Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham from Terrorism Act list
21 October 2025
The UK has deproscribed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), removing it from its list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act – press release.
The Government says in the press release that HTS was removed following significant developments in Syria, including the removal of the Assad regime by forces led by President Ahmed Al Sharaa in December 2024.
The UK proscribed HTS in 2017 for being an affiliate of Al-Qaida. It was also sanctioned by the UN and the US. Following the collapse of the Assad regime, HTS announced its dissolution. Mr Al Sharaa, previously identified as a senior figure within HTS, is now Syria’s President. Elections were held in Syria in October 2025. The UK government said that deproscription would facilitate closer engagement with the new Syrian administration.
Deproscription means the proscription offences set out in the Terrorism Act 2000, including membership and support for proscribed organisations, no longer apply to HTS. 83 organisations remain proscribed by the UK. Mr Al Sharaa remains subject to UN and UK sanctions. See our UK guidance pages for information on reviews of terrorism designations.
