ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Syrian foreign ministry on Tuesday welcomed a decision by the European Union to impose fresh sanctions on several individuals associated with the regime of toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
In a statement, the ministry praised the move, saying it reflects “a growing awareness within the European Union and the international community of the scale of violations committed by these individuals and their central role in inciting the regrettable events along the coast.”
The ministry reiterated the Syrian government’s “commitment to pursuing all those involved in these crimes, wherever they may be - inside or outside the country - to ensure they are brought to justice and the victims are granted redress.”
The five sanctioned individuals are Suhail al-Hassan, Ghiyath Dalla, Maqdad Fathiya, Mudallal Khoury, and Imad Khoury.
On Monday, the EU announced the sanctions under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, citing the individuals’ involvement in serious human rights abuses, including crimes against humanity and incitement of sectarian violence.
Hassan, a high-profile military commander, along with Dalla and Fathiya - both former military officials - were sanctioned for their direct role in atrocities committed under Assad’s rule, including "torture, extrajudicial killings, and other cruel treatment of prisoners." The EU statement said the trio played a part in “a wave of violence that took place in March 2025” in Syria’s coastal region.
That violence erupted in early March in Alawite-majority areas of western Syria, when Assad loyalists launched attacks against security forces aligned with the country’s new leadership.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), around 1,500 people - mostly Alawite civilians - were killed during the unrest, largely by government or pro-regime forces.
Meanwhile, brothers Mudallal and Imad Khoury - prominent Syrian-Russian businessmen - were sanctioned for providing critical financial, material, and technical support to the Assad regime.
The EU accused the Khoury brothers of representing the Assad regime’s “business and financial interests in Russia, helping finance the severe crimes against humanity committed under Assad, including the use of chemical weapons."
The sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans to EU countries, and a prohibition on providing funds or economic resources to the individuals, directly or indirectly. The EU Council emphasized it “stands ready to introduce further restrictive measures against human rights violators and those fueling instability in Syria.”
Following a swift offensive in early December, a coalition of opposition forces - led by the now-dissolved Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), under former leader Ahmed al-Sharaa - toppled Assad’s regime. In January, Sharaa was appointed interim president.
The new authorities in Damascus have since vowed to pursue former regime loyalists and implement transitional justice and national reconciliation.
