On December 19, 2025, the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced a new package of sanctions targeting individuals and organizations responsible for human rights abuses in Syria. This move comes one year after the fall of the Assad regime.
The sanctions focus on four individuals and three organizations involved in both historic atrocities from the Syrian Civil War and more recent violence in the coastal regions (Latakia and Tartous) earlier this year. The list includes:
Commanders from groups like the Sultan Suleiman Shah and the Hamza Division. Former military commanders and pro-regime militia leaders. Two Syrian-Russian businessmen, Mudallal and Imad Khoury, were sanctioned for providing financial support to the former Assad regime.
Those listed are now subject to:
Asset Freezes: Preventing them from accessing funds or doing business with any UK person or company.
Travel Bans: Prohibiting entry into the United Kingdom.
Director Disqualification: Preventing individuals from managing or forming companies in the UK.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized that “accountability and justice” are essential for a sustainable political transition. While the UK is pursuing these perpetrators, it is simultaneously working with the current Syrian Government to support the country’s economic recovery. To help rebuild the nation, the UK has actually relaxed some previous restrictions on finance and energy to encourage investment in the region. You can get more information here.
US partially suspends Caesar Act sanctions on Syria for 180 days
