EU slaps sanctions on Assad's wife, relatives
Asma Assad is on list of 12 Syrians to be barred from travel to Europe; their accounts frozen
EU foreign ministers have slapped sanctions on the wife and other close relatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad, freezing their assets and banning them from traveling to the EU in a continuing attempt to stop the violent crackdown on opposition, officials said Friday.
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Four members of the Assad family and eight government ministers have been targeted by the latest measures (the EU's 13th round of sanctions so far against the Syrian regime) the officials said. Three officials spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that will be announced later Friday following the foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.
Assad himself was targeted by EU restrictive measures as far back as May.
In the latest sanctions aimed at ending the regime’s relentless repression of dissent, the EU last month slapped a freeze on Syria’s central bank.
It also banned trade in gold and precious metals with Syria and cargo flights to the EU operated by Syrians.
The bloc has already imposed oil and arms embargoes against Syria in response to a crackdown that has left more than 9,000 people dead in a revolt against Assad that began as peaceful protests before rebels took up arms.
An EU diplomat said no joint move was expected on closing EU embassies in Damascus unless the situation deteriorated.
Asma Assad, 36, was born in London and has British citizenship, and an EU official said that likely meant she could not be banned from travel to the UK.
The UN estimates that more than 8,000 people have been killed since an uprising began in Syria a year ago.
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