The UK announced the imposition of sanctions on six associates of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, including his foreign minister and close advisers.

The following members of the Syrian regime have been sanctioned:

  1. Faisal MIQDAD. Minister of Foreign Affairs. Appointed in November 2020. As a Government Minister shares responsibility for the Syrian regime’s violent repression against the civilian population.
  2. Luna AL-SHIBL. Adviser to President Assad and a prominent member of his inner circle. As Media Adviser to the President, she supports the Syrian regime, which relies on disinformation and a lack of media freedom to repress the civilian population. She is also associated with the Syrian regime through her role as an adviser.
  3. Yassar IBRAHIM. Prominent and influential businessperson and financier to President Assad, operating across multiple sectors of the Syrian economy. The Ibrahim family, led by Yasser Ibrahim, is associated with the Assad regime, and acts as a front for Bashar and Asma Assad’s personal hold on the Syrian economy, whilst millions of Syrians are food insecure.
  4. Muhammad Bara’ AL-QATIRJI. Prominent and influential businessperson operating across multiple sectors of the Syrian economy. Qatirji supports and benefits from the regime including through enabling, and profiting from, trade deals with the regime in relation to oil and wheat.
  5. Major General Malik ALIAA. Major General and Commander of the Republican Guard as of January 2021, and former Commander of the Republican Guard’s 30th Division. Responsible for the violent repression of the civilian population by troops under his command, particularly during the increased violence of the offensives on north-west Syria of 2019-2020.
  6. Major General Zaid SALAH. Major General and since January 2018 Commander of the Syrian Army’s 5th Corps, and previously commanded the Republican Guard’s 30th Division. Responsible for the violent repression of the civilian population by troops under his command, particularly during the increased violence of the Idlib/Hama offensive which began in April 2019.