The British government announced today, 19 December 2025, the imposition of a new package of sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in acts of violence and serious violations against civilians across various Syrian regions, in a step aimed at holding accountable those responsible for human rights crimes committed over the years of conflict, including recent violations on the Syrian coast and previous violations during the Syrian war.
The British Foreign Office stated that the sanctions included individuals involved in the violence witnessed in the governorates of Latakia and Tartous last March, in addition to figures and entities implicated in violations committed during the height of the Syrian war, as well as businessmen who provided financial support to the former regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The British Foreign Office affirmed that these measures fall within the United Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to pursue accountability for violations committed against the Syrian people, whether by the former regime or by other parties, in parallel with its support for the path of political transition and economic recovery in Syria.
In this context, Britain announced the imposition of asset freezes, travel bans, and prohibitions on holding administrative positions against:
Ghaith Dalla and Miqdad Fatiha, the two former military commanders in regime forces; in addition to Mohammad al-Jasim (Abu Amsha), commander of the “Suleiman Shah” faction; Sayf Boulad, commander of the “Hamzat” faction; as well as the two businessmen Mudallal Khoury and Imad Khoury, for their role in financing the activities of the Assad regime.
The sanctions also included asset freezes on three armed formations: the Sultan Murad Division, the Suleiman Shah Division, and the Hamzat Division, due to their involvement in acts of violence and violations against civilians.
“Rights Monitor” –Human Rights Monitor Platform in Syria – welcomed this step, considering it “an important development toward breaking the cycle of impunity,” and affirming that the inclusion of factions such as Sultan Murad, Suleiman Shah, and Hamzat reflects international recognition of the scale of violations committed by these groups, particularly on the Syrian coast and in the predominantly Kurdish Afrin region.
The platform also indicates that these factions are involved in documented violations including extrajudicial killing, arbitrary arrest, torture, looting of property, and forced demographic change, and it calls for these sanctions to be followed by international legal steps that ensure justice for victims and reparations.
“Rights Monitor” stressed that the British sanctions represent a clear message that violations, regardless of the identity of their perpetrators or the parties to which they belong, will not go unpunished, emphasizing the need to expand the scope of accountability to include all those involved in crimes committed against Syrians.
