UK lifts sanctions on Syrian ministries, intelligence agencies
Kurdish forces arrest 20 ISIS affiliates, foil mass escape attempt from al-Hol camp: Asayish
Rojava parties to hold intra-Kurdish conference Saturday
Attacks on civilians, restrictions have eased in Rojava: UN official
US to establish two military bases in Kurdish-held areas of Syria: Rojava official
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The United Kingdom on Thursday lifted sanctions imposed on Syrian ministries, intelligence agencies and state-affiliated media outlets, during the rule of toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
In an official notice, the UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) announced the removal of the Syrian Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, General Intelligence Directorate, Air Force Intelligence Agency and Political Security Directorate, Syrian National Security Bureau, Military Intelligence Directorate, and the Army Supply Bureau from the UK Consolidated List.
Sanctions were also lifted on several Syria media outlets, including the General Organization of Radio and TV, al-Watan, Cham Press TV and Sama TV.
Of note, the UK Consolidated List is an official list of all individuals, entities, and ships that are subject to financial sanctions under UK law. These sanctions include asset freezes, investment bans and restrictions on financial services.
The UK initially imposed these sanctions in 2019 'under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018' to penalize 'individuals and entities involved in repressing the civilian population in Syria' during the 2011 uprising against Assad, as well as those who 'supported or benefited' from his regime.
This latest move follows a similar decision in early March, when the UK removed sanctions on Syria's central bank and 23 other Syrian entities in the banking, commercial, and oil sectors, whose assets had been frozen for six years.
London's early March decision aligned with the European Union, which in late February lifted sanctions imposed on several restrictive measures targeting key energy and transport sectors, as well as a number of Syrian banks and sectors, including the Industrial Bank, Popular Credit Bank, Saving Bank, Agricultural Cooperative Bank, and the Syrian Arab Airlines. The UK also included these entities in its sanctions relief list.
However, the EU cautioned that it would reimpose sanctions if Syria's new leadership fails to form an inclusive government representing the country's diverse ethnic and religious communities, as noted by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
The diplomatic shifts come after the swift overthrow of the Assad regime by a coalition of opposition groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in early December. In late January, HTS then leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was appointed as Syria's interim president.
The new Syrian government has since urged Western nations to lift sanctions, arguing they obstruct aid delivery and hinder post-war recovery efforts after more than a decade of civil conflict.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rudaw Net
17 minutes ago
- Rudaw Net
Exile and expression: Yazidi artists find voice in Germany
Also in World Trump tells Rudaw Iran has been acting 'very badly' Russia reiterates support for Kurds to be 'integral' part of Syria Kurdish lawyer urges legal consultation as Germany steps up deportations Activists urge equal rights for Syria's minorities A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Two Yazidi artists from southeast Turkey have turned exile into expression - writing and singing to promote a culture often forced into silence. Nawaf Miro, a poet, novelist, storyteller and translator was born to Yazidi parents. Living in Germany since 1987, he has published five poetry collections that are widely read and recited among Kurdish readers, particularly those fluent in Kurmanji. 'If our Kurdishness and Yazidiness weren't so fundamental, we would have certainly abandoned it, and that language and love wouldn't exist. For me, the great duty of a writer is to be with the weak, to be for his community, to be with those people who need protection, those who must be protected,' Miro told Rudaw's Diaspora program. He has also written eight novels and, as the father of three, several children's books. 'In the world, I see myself as a Kurd, that's why I write in Kurdish. Within Kurdistan and Yazidikhan, I am only Yazidi. I don't want to be called a Kurdish Yazidi, I am only Yazidi,' he said, adding that the Kurdish language holds special importance for Yazidis. 'Language is important for everyone, but for Yazidis it's twice as important, because all our prayers, verses, knowledge, stories, tales and lullabies are in this language,' he said. 'I can say I have worshipped this language in my own way.' Another Yazidi artist built his reputation performing Kurdish songs and is recognized across the diaspora in Europe. Bedil Brahim, originally from southeast Turkey, settled in Germany where he continued his music career and rose to fame as a contestant on the German X Factor singing competition. 'Early one morning, I got a phone call. They said we're from X Factor and we've seen your work on the internet and we want you to participate,' he said. He joined the show to introduce Kurdish culture to European audiences. Brahim advanced through five stages of the competition performing Kurdish songs, drawing applause from viewers and the jury. 'When I sang in Kurdish, German viewers would stand up and applaud,' he said. But when asked to switch to English in the later rounds, he withdrew, saying he was not confident in the English language. When the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked Shingal in 2014, Brahim and fellow musical artist Dashni Murad launched a campaign to collect aid for displaced Yazidis. Brahim personally delivered supplies to the Kurdistan Region and insisted on visiting Mount Shingal, which was under siege at the time. 'They told me it's very dangerous, but I said, I'm also a son of those Yazidis and I want to go to them. I'm not better than them,' he said. He traveled to the mountain by helicopter, documented the humanitarian crisis and helped evacuate the wounded. Brahim has released six albums and several singles. He continues to perform and record. His daughter appears alongside him in one of his videos, and his son, Hozan Haso, is also active in the arts. Shingal is part of the disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil. The areas stretch across several provinces, including Nineveh, Diyala, Salahaddin, and Kirkuk. Article 140 of the Iraqi constitution, which remains unimplemented, provides a process for the KRG and the federal government to settle their disputes. The region was liberated from ISIS in late 2015, but lack of reconstruction, political disputes, and ongoing insecurity have prevented most families from returning to their homes.
Rudaw Net
4 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Suspected Anfal executioner had plastic surgery to avoid detection
Also in Iraq Water level plummets in Iraq's largest dam Amnesty urges Iraq's parliament to reject controversial free speech bill Iraqi parliament to vote on controversial protest bill Iraq arrests accused Anfal executioner A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A man accused of torturing and executing Kurds in a remote southern Iraqi prison during the genocidal Anfal campaign underwent plastic surgery to avoid recognition and evade justice for decades, a senior local security official said on Friday after news broke of his arrest. Hajaj Ahmed Hardan al-Tikriti, nicknamed 'Hajaj Nugra al-Salman,' was arrested after a months-long investigation. The Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) described him as 'one of the most wanted henchmen of the former regime' of Saddam Hussein. 'Hajaj had previously undergone plastic surgery on his face, the purpose of which was to avoid being recognized,' Kawa Sheikhani, security advisor to Salahaddin's governor, told Rudaw. When he was arrested, Tikriti was living in Salahaddin where he worked 'in animal husbandry and has eighty sheep and four cows,' according to Sheikhani. In 1988, Hussein's Baathist regime launched a genocidal Anfal campaign, systematically targeting Kurdish villages and arresting thousands. Young men were often executed, and women, children, and the elderly were sent to the notorious Nugra Salman desert prison in Iraq's southern Muthanna province near the Saudi Arabian border. The INSS said Tikriti 'committed a series of crimes against humanity against hundreds of Iraqi citizens, particularly those of Kurdish origin who were forcibly exiled to Muthanna province. These crimes included torture, murder, and rape inside this infamous detention center.' Tikriti's family had claimed he died, according to the INSS. Survivors remember Nugra Salman as a place of daily beatings, hunger, and fear, made worse by Tikriti's brutality. More than 182,000 people were killed and over 4,500 villages were destroyed in eight phases of the Anfal campaign that culminated with the 1988 chemical weapon attack on Halabja. Malik Mohammed contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
5 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Water level plummets in Iraq's largest dam
Also in Iraq Amnesty urges Iraq's parliament to reject controversial free speech bill Iraqi parliament to vote on controversial protest bill Iraq arrests accused Anfal executioner Kirkuk court hands suspended sentence to Kurdish villager over disputed land A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Water levels in Mosul Dam in northern Iraq's Nineveh province have dropped significantly, largely blamed on a dry winter and reduced releases from upstream Turkey. 'While Mosul Dam has the capacity to hold 11 billion cubic meters of water, currently only two billion cubic meters of water remain in it,' Ahmed Dubardani, a member of the Nineveh Provincial Council's agriculture and water committee, told Rudaw on Saturday. Dubardani warned that the lack of water at the dam will have 'negative consequences for the entire country.' 'The reduced water releases from Turkey is the main reason. Turkey should be releasing 600 cubic meters per second of Tigris River water, but it is only releasing 100 cubic meters per second,' Dubardani explained. Iraq is facing a severe water shortage because of reduced precipitation, higher temperatures, mismanagement, and upstream dams in neighbouring countries. It ranks among the most vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change, according to the United Nations. Iraq does not have a comprehensive water-sharing agreement with Turkey and Iran and this, combined with a drier winter this year, has made the situation more critical. In early July, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani ordered the monitoring of water flows from Turkey, after a meeting between parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to an Iraqi parliament statement at the time, Erdogan approved Mashhadani's 'request to release 420 cubic meters of water per second daily." But Dubardani said that the decision has not been implemented. 'We have not seen this decision implemented practically. The amount of water release is small and nothing significant has changed,' he said. According to Dubardani, the problem has been exacerbated by poor management. 'The management of the dam's affairs is very poor. The government had previously ordered the dam's administration to release 600 cubic meters per second for the southern provinces, which created enormous pressure on the dam,' he said, calling on Baghdad to 'quickly resolve this problem.' The World Resources Institute places Iraq among 25 countries that face extreme water stress, meaning that it is using over 80 percent of its available supply of water and is at risk of running out of water in case of any short-term drought. Water scarcity in Iraq is also pushing families in severe drought-struck regions to the brink. In late July, migration and displaced ministry spokesperson Ali Abbas told Rudaw that over 17,000 families have migrated from the Basra, Dhi Qar, and Maysan provinces in the past decade due to 'drought, water scarcity, and desertification.' Public pressure is also growing. Southern provinces like Basra have seen widespread protests in recent weeks over severe water shortages and pollution. Nahro Mohammed contributed to this report.
