Press release
Syrian Opposition Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
January 01, 2021
The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) welcomes the commitment being shown by the British government to hold accountable those responsible for atrocities in Syria, in particular the UK’s decision to transfer the European Union sanctions against the regime and its backers to the UK sanctions regime.
The SOC stands ready, through its team tasked with following up the implementation of the Caesar Act, to cooperate with the United Kingdom to ensure that criminals are held accountable and a political solution is reached in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.
The atrocious crimes, crimes against humanity, and gross violations of human rights the Assad regime is committing in Syria require firm stances from international actors in order to ensure accountability and transitional justice within the framework of a political solution.
The SOC reiterates the importance of taking the humanitarian situation in Syria into account as it stresses that the Western sanctions spare civilians and focus on the regime, its pillars, security apparatus, military machine, and the international parties supporting it in its war on the Syrian people. Indeed, Syria’s economic meltdown would not have taken place had it not been for the Assad regime’s depletion of the country’s resources in its war against the Syrian people, its rampant corruption, and the smuggling of capital by the regime’s clique to outside the country.
