February 26, 2018•Update: February 26, 2018
By Diyar Guldogan
ANKARA
The European Union's political decision-making body on Monday slammed two more senior Syrian officials with sanctions against Bashar al-Assad's regime.
"The Council added the Minister of Industry [Mohamed Mazen Ali Yousef] and the Minister of Information [Imad Abdullah Sara] of the government of Syria to the list of those targeted by EU restrictive measures against the Syrian regime in view of the gravity of the situation in the country," the European Council said in a statement.
The regime appointed both Yousef and Sara in a cabinet reshuffle in January 2018.
"Today's decision brings to 257 persons the total number of persons targeted by a travel ban and an assets freeze for being responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria, benefiting from or supporting the regime, and/or being associated with such persons," it added.
The council also said a total of 67 entities were targeted by an assets freeze.
The measures were last extended on May 29, in 2017, and will be in place until June 1, 2018.
"The EU remains committed to finding a lasting political solution to the conflict in Syria under the existing UN-agreed framework," the council said.
