Hadi Al Bahra, President of the Syrian Coalition, stresses the importance of “framing the grass-roots efforts that have shaped the revolution within unions and organized structures as the lack of these is among the main reasons behind the delay in toppling the Assad regime,” during a meeting with the President of the Free Syrian Bar Association Abdul Jalil al-Hariri. Bahra also said that toppling the Assad regime requires finding an alternative system based on a set of legal principles. Bahra expressed the willingness to “provide all means of support to activate the legal unions, especially with the grave violations against the Syrian citizen, whether being a refugee, a citizen, a detainee or forcibly disappeared. Legal institutions are needed to follow up on the situation of Syrians who have been imprisoned in the host countries for committing offenses or for any other reasons. On his part, the head of the Free Bar Association said that “the Association has been extending its services to the Syrian citizens whether in areas beyond the control of the Assad regime or in neighboring countries since it was established in late May. This union work seeks to unify the legal efforts to serve the interests of the revolution and to convey the voice of the Syrians to the decision-makers in the Arab and international unions. We are also seeking to establish legal offices for the characterization of the legal problems facing the Syrians in the host countries, and also to acquaint them with their duties and responsibilities.” Hariri stresses the independence of the Association and its willingness to provide all the legal advice for the Syrian Coalition and the interim government.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)