The European Union has expanded the list of sanctions against the Syrian regime, listing five women from the al-Assad family on the blacklists.
The sanctions target five female family members of Bashar al-Assad’s uncle, Mohammed Makhlouf, who died several months ago. The decision extends the sanctions to his three wives and daughters.
According to a statement issued by European Council on Monday, the widow of Mohammed Makhlouf, Hala Tarif al-Maghout, was included on the sanctions list, along with his second widow Ghada Adib Muhanna (the mother of Rami Makhlouf).
The sanctions also included the daughters of Mohammed Makhlouf, Shahla, Kinda, and Sarah. The pair are Makhlouf’s heirs, being responsible for controlling his money and assets in service of the Assad regime.
“Since all of the heirs are members of the Makhlouf family, there is an inherent risk that inherited assets will be used to support the activities of the Syrian regime and will flow directly into regime control, which may contribute to the violent regime’s repression of the civilian population,” the EU statement said.
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The list of European sanctions against the Assad regime has thus expanded to include 292 people and 70 regime-supporting entities, which are linked with repression and violations against civilians since 2011.
The assets of the five women in EU countries would be frozen; they would be denied entry into Europe, and financial dealings with them would be prohibited.
Mohammed Makhlouf, Keeper of Assad’s Treasury, dies in Damascus
The uncle of Syrian regime president Bashar al-Assad, Mohammed Makhlouf, died in September 2020 from the COVID-19 virus, He died before recent differences between his son, Rami Makhlouf—one of the Assad regime’s most prominent businessmen—and Assad erupted.
In August 2011, the European Union included Mohammad Makhlouf on the sanctions list due to his close links with the Assad regime.
Makhlouf tried to challenge the sanctions as violating his right to privacy, alleging that the sanctions prevented him from maintaining the living standards to which his family is accustomed. In 2015, the European General Court rejected his appeal against the sanctions.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
