On Monday 22 January, the Council of the European Union adopted restrictive measures against an additional six individuals and five entities, “in view of the gravity of the ongoing situation in Syria”.
“The conflict is far from over and remains a source of suffering and instability for the Syrian people and the region” and “the Syrian regime continues to pursue its policy of repression”, the Council said in a press release, adding that it was therefore necessary to maintain and ensure the effectiveness of the restrictive measures in place by developing them further.
The people subject to an asset freeze and travel ban are: Yasser Ibrahim, an economic adviser to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, “three leading businesspersons providing support to, and benefitting from, the Syrian regime”, according to the Council, as well as a brother (Firas al-Akhras) and a cousin (Mohannad al-Dabbagh) of Bashar al-Assad’s wife, Asma al-Assad.
Five companies supporting and benefiting from the Syrian regime – Al-Dj Group, Cham Wings, Freebird Travel Agency, Iloma Investment Private JSC and Al-Aqila Company – will be subject to an asset freeze. According to the Council, some of these companies are involved in the transfer of Syrian mercenaries, arms trading, drug trafficking or money laundering, all of which support the activities of the Syrian regime.
See the legal documents: https://aeur.eu/f/ail ; https://aeur.eu/f/aim (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)