Enab Baladi –Wasim al-Adawi
A Syrian lawyer from the Damascus branch of the Bar Association filed a lawsuit today, Monday, April 13, before the Tenth Civil Court of First Instance at the Palace of Justice in Damascus, against Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir, in addition to his official capacity.
A copy of the lawsuit obtained by Enab Baladi shows it was registered under base number “15412” for 2026.
According to the subject of the lawsuit filed by lawyer Bassel Saeed Manee, the case seeks the annulment and amendment of the terms of an adhesion contract, and the suspension of the implementation of Decision No. 687, dated October 30, 2025, under which electricity prices were raised to a level beyond what citizens can afford, despite the living conditions of millions of people facing displacement, unemployment, and residence in rented homes with exorbitant rents.
Manee to Enab Baladi: All Documents Were Attached to the Lawsuit Petition
Lawyer Manee, from the Damascus branch of the Bar Association, told Enab Baladi that he submitted the lawsuit petition today before the registry of the civil court. He had previously presented it to the administrative judiciary, which informed him that it would reject the case on procedural grounds for lack of jurisdiction if it were filed there, because the energy minister’s decision to raise electricity prices is a regulatory decision, not an administrative one. Therefore, the competent court to consider it is the civil court of first instance.
Lawyer Manee denied that he had come under any pressure from any party to withdraw the lawsuit, from the moment he filed it today until now. He called on anyone harmed by high electricity bills, and who has a bill exclusively in their own name, to join the case. He said he is prepared to represent any person free of charge, noting that each power of attorney can include five clients.
The Syrian lawyer said he attached to the case file a set of documents, including the subscription contract signed between him and the electricity company, and a number of paid bills that show the very large differences in electricity tariffs under the slab system, from the days when charges amounted to only a few Syrian pounds to the current tariff. He added that he completed all the documents and paid the required fees so that he could register the lawsuit petition.
What is the next step?
Regarding judicial procedures and measures, lawyer Manee said the next step is for the Tenth Civil Court of First Instance in Damascus to notify the defendant, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir, through the State Litigation Administration, noting that notification is a basic condition for legal proceedings to be formally constituted.
After the proceedings are formally constituted, the Syrian lawyer said the court will set a date for the first hearing to consider the case. During that hearing, the attendance of the parties to the lawsuit, the plaintiff or plaintiffs and the defendant, will be recorded, after which the trial sessions will continue and briefs and response memoranda will be submitted.
Manee also said that despite the response he received from the administrative judiciary, he will within days file a similar case before that court. He noted that he tried to include more than one lawyer in the case, but most of them do not have a bill in their own name and therefore cannot join because they lack legal standing.
Complaints Over Rising Electricity Prices
Complaints from residents in Damascus over rising electricity bills are increasing, amid questions over how consumption is calculated, the accuracy of meters, and whether the imposed charges are proportionate to the actual number of supply hours and households’ monthly income.
On October 30, 2025, the Syrian Ministry of Energy issued details of its decision to raise electricity prices according to four brackets. It said the brackets “take into account social groups and different consumption levels,” as part of a government plan aimed at reforming the electricity sector and improving service, at a time when the sector is suffering losses estimated at $1 billion annually amid challenges in financing and infrastructure in most areas, according to the ministry.
The hall of the central collection center in Damascus is filled with citizens inquiring about the value of their bills. Some are paying what they owe, while many others told Enab Baladi they were shocked by the high amount of their bills compared with what they actually consume, which has prevented them from paying.
The value of the bills ranged, according to Enab Baladi’s reporting, between 600,000 Syrian pounds, about $46 to $50, and more than 2 million Syrian pounds, more than about $154 to $167, despite limited consumption and despite some residents relying on solar energy, or even leaving their homes closed for long periods.
Citizens expressed their dismay at the bill amounts. “Abu Munther,” a retired engineer whose bill reached 1 million Syrian pounds, about $77 to $83, said in a previous report by Enab Baladi that he uses only basic appliances, a refrigerator, a washing machine, and a water heater. He said he paid the bill out of necessity, while waiting to see the difference in consumption on the next bill after taking several photos of his meter reading.
The bill of “Abu Mohammad,” a service taxi driver, reached 950,000 Syrian pounds, about $73 to $79, despite his ownership of a solar power system. He said the recorded consumption does not reflect the actual reality, and that electricity supply in his area does not exceed six hours a day.
Other citizens told Enab Baladi about bills worth 600,000 Syrian pounds, about $46 to $50, 800,000 Syrian pounds, about $62 to $67, 1.3 million Syrian pounds, about $100 to $108, and even 12 million Syrian pounds, about $923 to $1,000, for a commercial meter, without heavy electrical equipment or commercial use, according to their accounts.
As for their refusal to pay the bills, many of those interviewed by Enab Baladi said they would not pay what they owe, regardless of any measures the relevant authorities may take, such as removing electricity meters. They said installing a solar power system is more economical for them than paying such bills.
One woman said her household has only three people and contains only a refrigerator and a washing machine, yet her bill reached about 600,000 Syrian pounds, around $46 to $50. She said the figure is “completely illogical” compared with the limited hours of electricity supply and does not fit her income at all, adding that she may be forced to look for another job if the situation continues as it is.
Many citizens with limited incomes, as well as retirees, are unable to pay these sums, as citizens’ salaries do not exceed 1.5 million Syrian pounds, about $115 to $125, at the upper limit, while retirees receive 1 million Syrian pounds, about $77 to $83.
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