Forever Guilty: US Sanctions Syria Official, Assad-Linked Companies

The US Treasury decided to punish three Syria- and Lebanon-based companies just for cooperation with the Syrian president.

 

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Syrian Central Bank official Batoul Rida and three Syria- and Lebanon-based companies are sanctioned for providing support to the government of the Syrian President Bashar Assad, the US Department of Treasury said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Batoul Rida, an official of the Central Bank of Syria, has been designated pursuant to Executive Order 13582 for acting for or on behalf of, and providing support to, the Government of Syria that enable its military campaign against the Syrian people,” the statement said.

“Additionally, Treasury designated the Syria-based front company Sigma Tech Company, Lebanon-based front company Shadi for Cars Trading, and Lebanon-based front company Denise Company,” the statement added.

The three companies acted on behalf of Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), a government agency that is sanctioned in the United States and the European Union for connections to the Syrian chemical weapons program, according to the Treasury Department.

The Treasury Department further noted that Batoul Rida has been working for the Syrian Central Bank since 2010, and has been involved in cash transfers with US-sanctioned Tempbank. Additionally, she has been working with the Central Bank’s Governor Adib Mayaleh, who was also designated for supporting the Assad regime by the United States in 2012.

The United States, along with a number of allied countries, have maintained and expanded a sanctions regime against Syria's economy and individual officials for more than a decade.

On May 18, 2011, the United States announced sanctions against Assad over alleged human rights violations.

Syria has been in a state of civil war for the past four years, with government forces engaged against various Islamic extremist groups, including the al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State.