The UK's envoy to Syria, Jonathan Hargreaves, has underlined the British government’s support for a permanent and real ceasefire in Syria, strongly condemning the Assad regime and its Russian backers.

In a statement released today (February 19), Hargreaves said, "Justice and accountability are the key to the urgently needed negotiated settlement to end the conflict."

The British envoy referred to the latest United Nations report released yesterday, saying "Regime and Russian forces have attacked civilian neighborhoods, including crowded markets during the day with large-scale explosive bombs."

At the beginning of the current year 2021, Britain confirmed that it will continue to impose sanctions on the Assad regime and its supporters outside the framework of the European Union, with the aim of increasing pressure on the regime to engage seriously in the political process that all Syrians advocate.

Since January 1, 2021, the UK has transferred European Union sanctions against the Assad regime and its associates to an independent UK sanctions regime for Syria, the statement by the British envoy to Syria added.

The statement indicated that the British sanctions aim to "end the brutal suppression of civilians by the Assad regime, and to increase pressure on it for a lasting political solution for all Syrians."

The statement further noted that "the United Kingdom fully supports the political process led by the United Nations, which the Syrian regime must deal with seriously in order to lift these sanctions."

The statement concluded by stating that “While the Syrian regime blames Western sanctions for the deterioration of the economy in Syria, in reality, this regime has destroyed Syria’s economy through favoritism, intermediaries and corruption, in addition to its funding of brutal violence against the Syrian people. Therefore, the regime must bear responsibility for its actions.”

Original article (in Arabic) and photo from SY24: https://www.sy-24.com/news/%d8%a8%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d8...