Government freezes Assad’s assets
Switzerland has frozen SFr50 million ($53 million) of funds belonging to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other top officials, a government spokeswoman said on Friday.
Money belonging to 12 companies and 54 individuals has been targeted, the spokeswoman of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said.
In addition to the Syrian president, top military commander Mahir Assad and Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim al-Sha'ar were also on the list.
Switzerland in May expanded its sanctions against Syria to include Assad and other senior officials, raising pressure on his government to end a crackdown on protesters.
Since the start of the Arab Spring, Switzerland has blocked assets of the former Tunisian and Egyptian leaders and their entourages as well as those of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family.
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