The United States (US) State Department has announced new visa restrictions on current and former Syrian government officials and others for their involvement in violent acts and severe human rights abuses during the country’s 2011 protests.
In a statement on Friday, March 29, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Secretary Antony Blinken imposed visa restrictions on “10 government officials and their immediate family members due to their involvement in serious human rights violations”.
This is not the first time the US has imposed visa restrictions on officials in the Syrian regime because of their role in suppressing protests; in December 2023, the department imposed visa restrictions on 11 officials in the Syrian regime and their immediate family members.
The new sanctions coincide with “13 years since the Assad regime began its violent suppression of peaceful protests in Syria, where the regime committed atrocities, including war crimes and crimes against humanity”.
Miller stressed that the US is “committed to promoting accountability for those involved in the suppression of Syrians and achieving justice for victims and survivors
“We will not normalize relations with the Assad regime absent authentic progress towards a lasting political solution in line with UNSCR 2254,” he said.
“We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Syrian people, including in their ongoing peaceful demands for freedom and dignity. We will continue to seek and pursue visa restrictions against regime officials and other individuals who engage in the repression of Syrians.”
Since March 15, 2011, Syria has been grappling with a brutal multi-party conflict, resulting in over half a million deaths, infrastructure destruction, and displacement of over half the population.
