Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition
Department of Media and Communications
March 09, 2023
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) has taken note of the recent measures taken by the European Union in response to the Assad regime’s ongoing violations of human rights. On Wednesday, the European Union announced a new package of sanctions against senior figures within the regime, including Bashar Al-Assad, for their involvement in crimes of sexual and gender-based violence. While the SOC welcomes any action taken against the Assad regime, it wishes to clarify the following points:
- It is impossible to achieve peace and security in Syria as long as the Assad regime remains in power. For the past 12 years, the Assad regime has committed various war crimes and crimes against humanity. Its record, along with that of its allies, is full of brutality, repression, and terrorism.
- We support the retention of sanctions against the brutal Assad regime, and we demand serious efforts to hold it accountable for its crimes. We call for more pressure through a unified international position to achieve a political transition in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
- The measures announced by the European Union came too late. Since 2011, several Syrian human rights organizations and the SOC have been highlighting the criminality and brutality of the Assad regime, and the urgent need to fulfill the demands of the Syrian people and save them from the regime’s crimes.
