Brussels, 21/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has, since Tuesday 21 October, imposed a travel ban and an assets freeze on 16 new persons linked to the Syrian regime. This figure includes twelve new ministers who have been in post since 27 August 2014. Economy and External Trade Minister Houmam Jaza'iri, Domestic Trade and Consumer Protection Minister Hassan Safiyeh, Water Resources Minister Kamal Cheikha, and Administrative Development Minister Hassan Nouri have had sanctions imposed upon them.
The ministers of labour, Khalaf Souleymane, housing and planning, Mohammad Walid Ghazal, communications and technology, Mohamad Ghazi Jalali, and health, Nizar Wahbeh Yazaji, have been made subject to a travel ban and have had their assets frozen. Also on the list of those on whom restrictive measures have been imposed are the ministers for higher education, Mohamad Amer Mardini, and culture, Issam Khalil, transport, Ghazwan Kheir Bek, and minister of state Mohammad Mouti' Mouayyad. As government ministers, they “share responsibility for the regime's violent repression against the civilian population”, says the Council in its legal act.
Sanctions have been imposed on Major General Ghassan Ahmed Ghannan, commander of the 155th missile brigade, and Colonel Mohammed Bilal, senior intelligence officer with the Syrian air force, along with the head of the Overseas Petroleum Trading Company (OPT), Abdelhamid Khamis Abdullah, and the deputy chief executive with responsibility for finance and administration of the Tri-Ocean Energy company, Mohamed Farahat. Each of these aforementioned companies has already been hit with sanctions.
The EU also decided to freeze the assets of Pangates International Corp Ltd, a company which serves as an intermediary in the supply of oil to the regime, and its parent, Abdulkarim Group. The EU considers that these companies support the Syrian regime and benefit from it. (CG)