HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani
The UK government has indicated that it is reviewing the designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a proscribed terrorist organisation, with ministers and intelligence officials weighing the group’s recent actions and leadership statements amidst changing dynamics in Syria.
HTS is currently listed on the UK’s proscription list due to its links with al-Qaeda and has been subject to the ban for over a decade. However, its leader has recently sought to distance the group from its fundamentalist origins, particularly since the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria.
UK Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden confirmed that the UK government was actively considering HTS’s status.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, McFadden said: "The leader of that group has distanced himself in a way from some of the things that have been said in the past. He is saying some of the right things about the protection of minorities, about respecting people's rights. So we'll look at that in the days to come."
When pressed on the timeline for a decision, McFadden told Sky News: "It won’t take that long. I think we need to do it quickly." He added that any changes would depend on HTS’s behaviour going forward. "Countries around the world who proscribe HTS - it’s not just the UK, the United States, European countries as well - probably will look at that now, and see what’s going to happen in the future," he said.
Former MI6 Chief Sir John Sawers emphasised the practical implications of maintaining the ban, telling Sky News: "Certainly, the actions we’ve seen of Tahrir al-Sham over the last two weeks have been those of a liberation movement, not of a terrorist organization. It would be rather ridiculous, actually, if we’re unable to engage with the new leadership in Syria because of a proscription dating back 12 years."
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel also called for a broader examination of HTS’s implications for security, defence, and terrorism risks.
However, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged caution, stating that it was "far too early" to change policy. Speaking in Saudi Arabia, Starmer expressed support for the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, calling it the end of a "barbaric regime." But he warned "What we must also ensure is the rejection of terrorism and violence, and that civilians are protected, minorities are protected, and that can only be through a political process."
Foreign Secretary David Lammy addressed the Commons, underscoring that the UK would closely monitor HTS’s actions in the territories it controls. "We will judge HTS by their actions, monitoring closely how they and other parties to this conflict treat all civilians in areas they control," Lammy stated.
The debate over HTS’s status comes at a pivotal time for Syria, with its future uncertain after years of civil war.
