Syria allows intersex person to register new gender status for first time

A Syrian court granted permission for an intersex person to change his gender and name on official documents, Russian state news agency Sputnik's Arabic-language service reported on Wednesday.

"Order: Correct the sex of the plaintiff so that he becomes a male instead of a female and correct the name so that it becomes Ahmed instead of Batoul," a court order published by the news site said.

"The security of the Civil Registry in Damascus must record this correction," the directive from the civil status court added.

Nour Setahji, the lawyer for the 37-year-old, said her client had a rare chromosomal genotype.

"The changes occurred naturally without the use of hormones or operation," Setahji said.

The lawyer explained that doctors had confirmed that her clients' genetic code contained both male and female chromosomes and that as he grew older masculine traits became more prominent.

Setahji added that her client - who prefers to remain anonymous - had sought legal help more than a year ago after facing difficulties at military checkpoints over his identity.

The move is reportedly the first time the Syrian government has allowed one of its citizens to change their gender status on official documents.

Correction 12/02/18: This story originally misidentified the intersex person as transgender as a result of a mistaken translation. We apologise for the error.