DISINFO: Western sanctions against Syria are illegal
SUMMARY
The United States and the European Union have decided to keep the sanctions against Syria in spite of the fact that the Syrian people need help, regardless of the recent call by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to ease sanctions during the spread of the coronavirus.
New sanctions have been imposed that undoubtedly come in an attempt to strangle the Syrian Arab Republic economically, therefore it is very important now that we examine ways to organise the delivery of humanitarian aid and support the Syrian people through appropriate channels.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about sanctions against the Syrian regime trying to portray them as illegal and targeting the Syrian population.
The EU sanctions do not target the Syrian population but individuals and companies who are involved with a political regime that has committed war crimes. See our video here for further details.
EU sanctions, imposed since 9 May 2011, respond to the repression perpetrated on the Syrian people by the Syrian regime and its supporters, including through the use of live ammunition against peaceful protesters, and the regime’s involvement in the proliferation and use of chemical weapons.
EU sanctions are designed in a way that only targets the specific individuals and entities on the sanctions list, avoiding negative impacts on the population. They comply with all obligations under international law, in particular international refugee law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It should be noted that the restrictions include exemptions for humanitarian needs and purposes.
EU sanctions against the regime were extended in May 2020 for one year.
The goal of these measures is to put pressure on the Syrian regime to halt its repression and negotiate a lasting political settlement of the Syrian crisis in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 under UN auspices. They are part and parcel of the EU’s wider approach to the Syria crisis, as outlined in the EU strategy on Syria.
See a similar case that EU sanctions against Syria are illegal, that it targets people for merely doing business in Damascus