The United Kingdom raises sanctions against Syria and says that the country deserves the opportunity to rebuild the economy
The British government has announced that it will raise sanctions against a dozen Syrian entities, including government departments and the media, to help the country reconstruct, after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad after a rebel ray offensive in December.
The United Kingdom applied sanctions against those who supported Assad’s repressive regime, helped violently repress civilians and disseminate erroneous information.
“The Syrian people deserve the opportunity to rebuild their country and economy and a stable Syria is of the national interest of the United Kingdom,” said Hamish Falconer, Minister of the Middle East, in a statement.
The new Syrian leaders have struggled to begin to rebuild the economy and infrastructure of the country, decimated after almost 14 years of civil war.
The new Damascus authorities have been under pressure due to the hard sanctions imposed by Western countries to the Assad government to be lifted, with limited success.
Financial sanctions and the freezing of assets of several government agencies were raised, including interior ministries and defense, said the United Kingdom Foreign Ministry.
Sanctions were also raised against the General Radio and Television Organization, a state agency that supposedly disseminates propaganda in favor of Assad and incites violence against civilians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said that sanctions were raised against the newspaper Al Watan, Cham Press TV and Sama TV, to disseminate incorrect information.
The sanctions imposed against Assad and its members are still in force and the legislation has been amended to allow the former leader and others to be responsible for the atrocities committed against the Syrians.
In March, the United Kingdom suspended sanctions against two dozen Syrian companies, especially banks and oil companies.
The Trump administration has not yet formally recognized the new Syrian government led by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, an ancient Islamic insurre that led the offensive that deposed Al-Assad.
The militant group of Al-Sharaa Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) remains a terrorist organization designated by the United States and the sanctions imposed on Damascus during the Al-Assad regime remain in force.
However, Washington attenuated some restrictions.
In January, the United States Treasury issued a six -month general license, which authorizes certain transactions with the Syrian government, including some energy sales and auxiliary transactions.
The European Union, meanwhile, began to relieve some sanctions in the field of energy and transport and bank restrictions against Syria, suspend measures aimed at oil, gas and electricity, as well as transport, including the aviation sector.
