The US government imposed sanctions on Syrian and Russian figures “in response to the violence perpetrated by the Syrian regime led by Bashar al-Assad.”
The statement issued by the US Treasury Department targeted 9 figures from a Russian bank, thus prohibiting any American person, company or institution from dealing with them commercially or financially, and will seize their assets in American institutions and on American territory.
A statement from the US Treasury explained that the bank “offered facilities and material support to the Syrian Government, including the Central Bank of Syria, and the Syrian Oil Marketing company.”
US Treasury imposed sanctions on seven people from the Assad regime. The first of whom is the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Duraid Durgham. The punitive action also included six ministers: Finance Minister Mamoun Hamdan, Oil Minister Ali Ghanem, Minister of Communications Ali Zafer, Information Minister Mohammed Ramez Turgeman, Minister of Industry Ahmed al Hamou, and transportation Minister Ali Hammoud.
The statement also accused the persons and institutions of supporting the Assad regime and the program of weapons of mass destruction in Syria, referring to Syria’s chemical weapons program.
Among the affected institutions is “Cham Wing” which helped fly fighters from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and participated in the smuggling of funds, Ceres Logistics Company, al Hessn Company and Techno lab.
Separately, Belgium welcomed the adoption, on December 21st by the UN General Assembly, of a resolution establishing a mechanism to assist in the prosecution of serious violations of humanitarian law in Syria.
Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders on Friday said that this resolution “is an important and concrete step to prevent impunity for the brutal crimes committed in Syria.”
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday voted to establish a special team to “collect, consolidate, preserve and analyze evidence” as well as to prepare cases on war crimes and human rights abuses committed in Syria.
The General Assembly adopted a Liechtenstein-drafted resolution to establish the independent team with 105 in favor, 15 against and 52 abstentions. The team will work in coordination with the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry.
The Syrian Coalition earlier stressed the need to coordinate efforts with local and international organizations to alleviate the suffering of the people of Aleppo who were forcibly displaced from their homes. It called for stepping up urgent support for thousands of women, children, and the elderly who were uprooted from their homes by regime forces and their allied foreign militias. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office + Agencies)
