DISINFO: EU sanctions for merely doing business with Damascus
SUMMARY
The European Union imposed sanctions on a group of Syrians for merely doing business with Damascus, citing that it deals with the Syrian government, while experts said that trade between Syria and Europe has been suspended for years.
RESPONSE
EU sanctions concerning Syria are targeted at the Syrian regime and its policies, as are the restrictions put in place. It should be noted that the restrictions include exemptions for humanitarian needs and purposes.
In February 2020, the European Council added eight prominent businessmen and two entities linked to those businessmen to the list of persons and entities subject to the sanctions against the Syrian regime and its supporters. The justification was that their activities directly benefited the Assad regime, including through projects located on lands expropriated from persons displaced by the conflict.
The sanctions on Syria were originally imposed in 2011. They are reviewed on an annual basis, with the next review due by 1st June.