The Syrian regime revealed that it is studying a draft amendment to the law "combating cybercrime" in the regime-controlled areas, and tightening some penalties to reach more than five years' imprisonment with the payment of large financial fines.

Article 22 of the draft law, which is being discussed by the regime’s parliament, stipulates the imposition of a temporary prison sentence of three to five years, and a fine of two million to four million pounds, against anyone who publishes “false” news on the Internet that undermines the “prestige of the state” or Excite public opinion. While the penalty in Article 23 according to the new amendment becomes three years imprisonment instead of one year, and a fine of 500,000 to 1 million, for anyone who undermines the "honor or dignity of a public servant."

 Article 24 imposes a prison sentence of one to six months and a fine of up to 200,000 Syrian pounds for anyone who publicly slanders a person.

The penalties were also tightened in other articles of the draft law, according to the pro-government newspaper Al-Watan.