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Assad family blacklisted by EU Assad family blacklisted by EU
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The European Union has sought to punish the family of Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, blacklisting his wife, mother, sister, and sister-in-law and freezing their assets. The European Union has sought to punish Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, by targeting his closest female relatives, with sanctions barring his wife, mother, sister and sister-in-law from travelling in the EU and freezing bank accounts and other assets.
But it was unclear how the symbolic move aimed at curbing the luxury lifestyle of the Assad dynasty would affect Asma al-Assad, the president's wife and until recently an international style icon. However, it remained unclear how the symbolic move aimed at curbing the luxury lifestyle of a dynasty engaged in a bloodbath in Syria would affect Asma al-Assad, the president's wife and until recently an international style icon.
The EU travel ban placed on the four women, to be made official on Saturday, means they cannot enter the EU. But Assad is partially exempted from that overall ban since she is a British national and may still travel to the UK, though not to the rest of the EU. The travel ban placed on the four women means they cannot enter the EU. But Asma al-Assad is exempted from that overall ban since the British-born former investment banker is a UK national and may still travel to London, though not to the rest of the union.
William Hague, the foreign secretary, confirmed Assad would be able to visit her parents, who live in London, but thought she was unlikely to.
And despite the asset freeze, British government sources said Assad would still be able to use the house she owns in London. There would be no attempt to strip her of her British nationality.
"British passport-holders have a right of entry to the UK. But given we are imposing an asset freeze on all of these individuals and a travel ban on other members of the same family or regime, we are not expecting Mrs Assad to try and travel to the UK at present," Hague said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
A cache of emails from the Assad regime recently leaked to the Guardian exposed a culture of high-living, luxury shopping sprees in London and Paris at the same time as the regime has turned its artillery indiscriminately on heavily populated urban areas.
It was not clear whether the blacklisting and assets freeze would prevent the Syrian first lady from engaging in shopping excursions to Harrod's if she so chooses.
Asked whether she could still go shopping in London, Hague said merely that he did not expect this to happen.
Under the EU visa regime, the overall travel ban does not stop the holder of a passport of an EU country from continuing to travel to that country.Under the EU visa regime, the overall travel ban does not stop the holder of a passport of an EU country from continuing to travel to that country.
British officials confirmed that Assad still has a valid UK passport and that she would be able to visit Britain, where she was born and grew up. Her parents live in London. British officials confirmed that Assad still had a valid UK passport.
"She can still enter the UK. There's nothing legal we can do about it without good reason," said a British official. "She can still enter the UK. There's nothing legal we can do about it without good reason," said one official.
Also, the curbs on her ability to shop in London for luxury and designer goods may be less comprehensive than previously thought. The curbs on her ability to shop in London may be less comprehensive than previously thought.
The assets freeze means her bank accounts and credit cards should be frozen. But British officials said that under Home Office rules, those blacklisted would be barred from purchasing "basic goods" but would still be able to shop for "luxury items". The criteria distinguishing basic from luxury goods was not clear. The assets freeze means that any UK or EU bank accounts and credit cards would be frozen. But British officials said that under Home Office rules those blacklisted would be barred from purchasing "basic goods" but would still be able to shop for "luxury items". The criteria distinguishing basic from luxury goods was not clear.
The confusion surrounding the impact of the sanctions on the Assad family left open the possibility that blacklisting Asma al-Assad could turn out to be relatively toothless.
It appeared that there would no attempt to strip her of her British nationality.
"It is important to note that sanctions are imposed on individuals to encourage them to change their behaviour," said a British government source. "The imposition of sanctions would not lead to automatic arrest or action to deprive someone of their nationality.""It is important to note that sanctions are imposed on individuals to encourage them to change their behaviour," said a British government source. "The imposition of sanctions would not lead to automatic arrest or action to deprive someone of their nationality."
Asma al-Assad's assets held in the UK will, however, be frozen, the sources said, adding that she will be allowed to use her London home, but would not be able to sell it or have access to rental income. Assad's assets held in the UK would, however, be frozen, the source added, noting that she would not be able to sell her London home or have access to rental income. "Any money or other asset that is held in the UK will be frozen and can only be unfrozen under a licence from the Treasury," the source said.
"Any money or other asset that is held in the UK will be frozen and can only be unfrozen under a licence from the Treasury," the sources said. President Assad himself has been under EU sanctions for almost a year, to little appreciable effect on his policies and the bloody crackdown he has implemented against Syrian revolutionaries and civilians.
President Assad has been under EU sanctions for almost a year, with little appreciable effect on his policies and the bloody crackdown he has implemented against Syrian revolutionaries and civilians. Ahmet Davutoglu, the foreign minister of Turkey, which has a 500-mile border with Syria and is hosting 17,000 refugees with a further 1,000 arriving each day, said the president had to be stopped quickly, but that he constantly played for time in order to crack down ever more ruthlessly.
Ahmet Davutoğlu, the foreign minister of Turkey, which has a 900kmborder with Syria and home to 17,000 refugees with 1,000 more arriving daily, said Assad had to be stopped quickly, but that he constantly played for time in order to crack down ever more ruthlessly. "I compare Homs with Sarajevo [in the 1990s]," Davutoglu said in Brussels. "No one can justify attacking urban areas indiscriminately. Now they are attacking urban areas with heavy weapons. We have to act quickly …  This massacre must be stopped."
"I compare Homs with Sarajevo [in the 1990s]," Davutoğlu told the Guardian in Brussels. "No one can justify attacking urban areas indiscriminately. Now they are attacking urban areas with heavy weapons. We have to act quickly This massacre must be stopped." A lunch of the Turkish and EU foreign ministers discussed the real prospect of a full-blown civil war in Syria, a participant told the Guardian.
In addition to the Assad family members, another eight figures in the regime and two oil companies were blacklisted and had their assets frozen. "It's horrible," said the source. "The [opposition] Syrian National Council is pressing us to send weapons, but no one is prepared to do that. The opposition is very divided."
In addition to his wife, President Assad's mother, sister, and sister-in-law, eight other regime figures and two oil companies were targeted with sanctions.
The new sanctions, bringing to more than 100 the number of regime figures targeted by the EU, showed a resolve, said Hague, "to intensify the pressure, the economic and diplomatic stranglehold on this regime".
"We cannot just accept that this killing, this repression of the citizens of Syria goes on."