Swiss sanctions target Assad’s wife
Switzerland has extended sanctions against the Syrian regime to include the mother and wife of President Bashar al-Assad.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) said on Monday it had added a number of people to the list of those sanctioned to include key personalities close to the regime.
Along with Assad’s wife Asma and mother Anisa, his sister Bushra and sister-in-law Manal – wife of younger brother Maher who heads the Republican Guard – have also been targeted with sanctions.
The Swiss sanctions, which will see assets frozen and a restriction on travel to Switzerland, are in line with those imposed by the European Union a month ago.
In total, 127 people and 40 businesses are subject to Swiss sanctions intended to add pressure to the Syrian regime as it pursues a bloody repression of anti-government protesters.
Thirteen months of violence have left more than 9,000 people dead, according to the United Nations.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.