EU imposes new sanctions on four Syrian ministers

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, the European Union (EU) added four ministers of the Syrian government to its blacklist targeting those responsible for the repression of the Syrian people.

Amr Salem, Minister of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection, Boutros al-Hallaq, Minister of Information, Muhammad Seifeddine, Minister of Labor, and Diala Barakat, Minister of State, were all added to the blacklist for sharing “responsibility for the Syrian regime’s violent repression of the civilian population,” according to a decision published in the EU Official Journal.

The EU introduced its sanctions regime fully a decade ago, in 2011, to “pressure the Assad regime to stop the repression of its own people and to enter negotiations about a political solution for the civil war.”

Today’s decision brings the number of persons targeted by a travel ban and an asset freeze to 287. The list also includes 70 entities, which are subject to an asset freeze.

The four ministers were appointed four months ago by Decree No. 208 issued by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in early August.

In May, the EU announced the extension of its sanctions imposed on the Syrian government for another year.