The European Union has added three ministers in the Syrian regime government to its sanctions list due to ongoing repression and human rights violations in Syria.
The European Council stated in a statement on its official website that it decided to add three ministers to the sanctions list: the Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, Louai Emad El-Din al-Munajjid, the Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources, Firas Hassan Qaddour, and the Minister of State Ahmed Mohammad Bustaji.
The sanctions include asset freezing, a ban on providing funds or economic resources to them, either directly or indirectly, as well as travel prohibitions.
The European Union justified its decision by citing the responsibility of the mentioned ministers for the violent repression exercised by the Syrian regime against civilians.
The European Union emphasized that it applies restrictive measures under the sanctions regime on Syria, targeting a total of 318 individuals and 86 entities.
The Council conducts ongoing reviews of developments in the Syrian conflict and may decide to renew sanctions or amend the list of targeted entities or individuals based on developments on the ground.
The European Union confirmed that the only path to achieving sustainable peace in Syria is a political solution in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.
The restrictive measures imposed by the European Union regarding Syria are designed in a way that does not hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid to any part of the country; they do not prohibit the export of food, medicines, or medical equipment by the EU to Syria.
Previously, in July, the European Union imposed sanctions that included the Minister of Defense and Deputy Commander of the Army and Armed Forces, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, and the Chief of Staff of the regime’s army, Abdel Karim Mohammad Ibrahim.
The European Union’s statement at that time mentioned that Abbas and Ibrahim are responsible for the actions of the regime’s forces in relation to committing “systematic and widespread torture, rape, sexual violence, and gender-based violence against civilians.”
On May 28, the European Union extended European sanctions on the Syrian regime until June 2025, “due to the severity of the deteriorating situation in Syria,” while removing five deceased individuals and one other person from the list.
The European Union has imposed sanctions on the Syrian regime since 2011 due to its violent repression of peaceful demonstrations and the storming of Syrian cities and towns by regime forces and security services, which committed violations against civilians.