Syria: UN expert’s remarks necessitate removal of cruel US sanctions

Syria has slammed the United States for imposing unilateral sanctions on Damascus, after a UN special rapporteur called on Washington to remove restrictive measures against the war-torn country.

In a statement on Saturday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry described US sanctions as “crimes against humanity” that impact the life of normal citizens amid efforts to rebuild the Arab country as a result of almost ten years of conflict, Syria's official news agency SANA reported.

The Syrian ministry's statement came days after Alena Douhan, UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, voiced concerns that sanctions imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act risk exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in Syria, especially following the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Unilateral US sanctions crimes against humanity: Syria

Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has denounced unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against the war-stricken country as "crimes against humanity”.

“When it announced the first sanctions under the Caesar Act in June 2020, the United States said it did not intend for them to harm the Syrian population,” Douhan said.

She added that the enforcement of the Act may worsen the existing humanitarian crisis and deprive the Syrian people of the chance to rebuild their basic infrastructure.

UN expert @AlenaDouhan calls on the #UnitedStates to remove unilateral sanctions which may inhibit rebuilding of #Syria’s civilian infrastructure destroyed by almost 10 years of ongoing conflict. Learn more: https://t.co/CI20oDo177 pic.twitter.com/qEBtyaxP8y

— UN Special Procedures (@UN_SPExperts) December 29, 2020

In response, the US Special Envoy for Syria Joel Rayburn rejected Douhan's statement as "misguided and false," adding that the blame for Syria's economic situation and humanitarian crisis falls on the government of President Bashar Assad, "not on U.S. sanctions."

In its Saturday statement, the Syrian foreign ministry slammed US envoy's remarks, saying that it included lies in response to Douhan’s appeal to Washington to lift the sanctions on Syria, and proves US adherence to the policy of hegemony, arrogance and unipolarity.

In Damascus, people condemn US anti-Syria sanctions

The demonstrators condemned the so-called Caesar Act, which is against the Assad administration..

“It is time for the US administration to assume full responsibility for the suffering of Syrians through its support for terrorism and the unilateral coercive measures, which violate international laws and deprive Syrians of a decent life,” the Syrian ministry stated.

It added that the lies and misleading information included in the US statement would no longer deceive anyone, and that hypocrisy and lying have become the feature of the US administration and its allies.

In late December, Syria’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad denounced unilateral sanctions imposed by the US against the war-stricken country as “crimes against humanity," saying the Western sponsors of terrorism must pay the price for their atrocities against the Syrian nation.

Speaking in an interview with SANA news agency in Moscow, at the end of his official visit to Russia, Mekdad added, “Unilateral coercive measures against Syria are inhumane and can be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Syria condemns Washington’s ‘economic terrorism’ in wake of Caesar sanctions act

The Caesar sanctions act aims to sanction any party that assists the Syrian government.

Over the past years, the US has been maintaining an illegal military presence on Syrian soil, collaborating with anti-Damascus militants and stealing the country’s crude oil resources.

It has slapped rounds of crippling sanctions on Syria, which has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. 

Parts of the restrictive measures have been imposed under the so-called Caesar Act, an American piece of legislation that alleges to support the Syrian people by protecting them against the Syrian administration’s way of governance.

The bans target almost all Syrian economic and trade activities, as well as the country’s government officials.

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