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Dutch Parliament Moves to Reinstate Sanctions on Syria
Some political parties and lawmakers in European Union countries are seeking to reevaluate their stance towards the new rulers in Syria, amid the Syrian authorities' failure to uphold promises related to the protection of minorities and the enhancement of participation from all components of Syrian society in managing the country's affairs.
In this context, the Dutch Parliament voted in favor of a memorandum urging the government to pressure within the European Union to reinstate sanctions that were recently lifted on Syria, in the event that the situation regarding minority rights continues to deteriorate under the de facto authority.
This memorandum was based, according to statements from academic and researcher Karam Shaar from the Newlines Institute and research director at the Policy and Operations Research Center, on recent events of violence in the Syrian coast and the constitutional declaration that excluded certain segments of the population.
The Dutch Parliament's memorandum received broad support from a multi-party coalition, warning that lifting sanctions on Syria should not be used as a pretext for increasing repression against minorities. The Dutch government did not object to this, facilitating the passage of the memorandum with significant backing.
In this context, Karam Shaar questioned the acceptability of reinstating sanctions that had previously been imposed due to crimes committed by the ousted Assad regime, indicating that any lifting of sanctions should occur unconditionally upon the regime's downfall. He emphasized the importance of monitoring the behavior of the new government in Damascus, stressing that the sanctions imposed during Assad's tenure are not the optimal political tool.
Since 2011, the European Union has imposed a series of sanctions on Syria in response to the former regime's oppressive policies against peaceful popular protests. These sanctions include an arms embargo, a ban on importing Syrian oil and petroleum products, as well as financial restrictions, freezing the assets of the Syrian central bank, and preventing European financial institutions from opening branches in the region, along with other restrictions on exporting equipment and technology that could be used for internal repression.
After the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, the European Union announced its intention to ease sanctions for the benefit of the Syrian people. Indeed, on February 24, 2025, it announced the suspension of sanctions affecting the energy, banking, and transport sectors, paving the way for potential future changes in policy towards Syria.
