03 April 2013 :

President Bashar al-Assad issued legislative decree No. 20 for the year 2013 on Kidnapping people and the due penalties.
The penalties, according to the Decree, range from life penal work to death sentence, depending on the kidnapping motives, as those who kidnap for political or material ends or for revenge or for sectarian inducement or for ransoms are punished with life penal labor.
Death sentence, on the other hand, is the penalty for those who cause death of anyone or leave the kidnapped with a permanent disability or commit sexual assault against them.
In a statement, Minister of Justice, Dr. Najm al-Ahmad, stressed that the decree seriously deals with the kidnapping crime which appeared in the Syrian society during the past two years.
He called on those involved in such crimes to seize the opportunity given by this decree as it forgives the kidnapper if he freed the person he kidnapped within 15 days once the decree is put into effect.