U.S. imposes restrictions on Assad regime officials for violating human rights

U.S. Department of State said in a statement on Friday, December 9, 2023, that it imposed new restrictions and extended previous ones on 11 Assad regime officials as part of measures to promote accountability for human rights violations.

This statement came on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The US Department of State issued, under Section 212 (a)(3)(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, an expanded policy to restrict visas for current or former Assad regime government officials or other officials involved in repressing the Syrians.

The statement made it clear that the US seeks to impose visa restrictions on 11 Syrian officials and other individuals in accordance with this policy.

The UK announced in a statement ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that it had imposed sanctions on eight individuals in Assad regime government for their involvement in the atrocities committed by the Assad regime against the Syrian people, including ministers and senior members of Assad regime army participating in the field and military courts.

UK has previously imposed a list of sanctions on the Foreign Minister of Assad regime, Faisal al-Mekdad, Bashar al-Assad’s advisor, Luna al-Shibl, businessmen Yassar Ibrahim and Muhammad Baraa Katerji, Republican Guard Commander, Malik Alia, and Army Major Zaid Salah.