TOKYO: The media in Syria will be free to criticize the government, says Mohammed Omar, the interim government’s Minister of Information, in an interview with Japan’s Mainichi newspaper.

“There are no restrictions on freedom of expression as long as it does not go against Syrian reconciliation,” Omar told the Mainichi. He added that in the future in Syria, “the media will be allowed to criticize the government. We will not interfere with the content of reports. Freedom of expression was one of the goals of the liberation of Syria.”

Omar is from Idlib Province in northwestern Syria. He joined the anti-government movement in 2011 when the civil war began and from 2012 to 2019, he reported on the battles with government forces as a journalist.

In 2019, he was involved in establishing the media department of the “National Salvation Government,” an administrative body established by HTS in Idlib Province, and has served as its Minister of Information since 2013.

The interim government plans to set up a specialized committee to revise the constitution. “Right now, we are prioritizing rebuilding the government’s institutions,” Omar said. “Anything after that will be decided by a consensus of the entire nation.”

He called for support from the international community, saying, “We want to build good relations with all countries, including Japan.”