In a step that enhances the path of justice and accountability for all Syrians, the European Union announced on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, the imposition of sanctions on three entities and two individuals accused of involvement in bloody acts of violence on a sectarian basis that occurred in Syria last March.[1]
Civilians belonging to the Alawite sect in particular were the most targeted. At Insight have documented many cases of mass killing based on sectarian identity, and the victims were women, children, and the elderly.[2]
Although the sanctions in general, and the Caesar Act in particular, harmed the Syrian people more rather than holding those involved in violations and crimes against the Syrian people accountable; the sanctions directed at convicted figures – and in circumstances when there seem to be no alternatives to accountability – will undoubtedly lead to the path of justice.
The sanctions directed at specific individuals and factions included freezing assets and banning entry to European Union countries. The sanctioned persons and entities are:
Mohammad Hussein Al-Jassem, known as (Abu Amshah)
Before joining the new Syrian Ministry of Defense, he was the leader of the Suleiman Shah faction, also known as “Al-Amshat”. His name was previously included on the sanctions list issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury[3] on August 17, 2023, for his and his faction’s involvement in committing serious human rights violations in the Kurdish-majority region of Afrin.
The faction “Suleiman Shah” was established along with the Turkish Operation “Olive Branch” in 2018, in which Turkey and factions loyal to it took control of Afrin region, north of Aleppo. The crimes committed by this faction and its leader reached an extent that the armed opposition[4] itself exposed them, and issued a decision in 2022 to remove Mohammad Al-Jassem and his brothers from any positions. The decision stipulated isolation and exile outside Afrin instead of accountability, however, it remains unimplemented to this day.
Data indicates that Al-Jassem collected millions of dollars from the royalties he illegally imposed on olive crops and other businesses in Afrin and the financial ransoms his faction received in exchange for the release of those arbitrarily detained.[5]
Saif Bolad, known as (Saif Abu Baker)
A former commander of the Hamza Division within the “Syrian National Army”. He is also on the sanctions list imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury in August 2023 for his involvement in the abduction and long-term detention of Kurdish women.
The factions of the former “Syrian National Army” announced their merger within the new Syrian Ministry of Defense, during the “Victory Conference”[6] held in Damascus on January 29, 2025.
Mohammad Al-Jassem and Saif Bolad were promoted by the Syrian transitional government and appointed to senior leadership positions in the new Syrian army. Mohammad Al-Jassem was appointed commander of the 25th Division, and then the 62nd Division in Hama as a general brigadier. Saif Bolad was appointed commander of the 76th Division in Aleppo as a general brigadier as well.[7]
The new European sanctions also targeted military formations:
Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade: led by Mohammad Al-Jassem (Abu Amsha), due to its involvement in acts of violence in the Syrian Coast,[8] like targeting civilians, especially the Alawites, and committing arbitrary crimes as described by the European Union, including murder.
The Hamza Division: It is led by Saif Bolad, due to its responsibility for acts of torture in its detention centers, extortion, and forced displacement of civilians in Afrin and Aleppo, and is involved in acts of violence in the coastal region against Alawites last March.
Sultan Murad Division: led by Fahim Issa,[9] for its participation in committing humanitarian violations and arbitrary killings against civilians from the Alawite sect in the events of March 6-7, 2025.
Local and international human rights reports, including reports of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry[10] on Syria, confirm that these factions are involved in extrajudicial killings and targeting civilians in Afrin region with various violations on an ethnic basis.
The new appointments of these people, in addition to Ahmed Al-Hayes (Abu Hatem Shaqra) and others involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity, sparked indignation and anger among a wide spectrum of Syrian activists, human rights organizations, and victims’ associations[11].
They considered appointing such personalities – involved in committing grave violations amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity – in high-ranking positions within state institutions as a huge setback to the process of transitional justice in Syria, and a re-production of violence and tyranny and a perpetuation of the policy of impunity pursued by the previous regime.
Insight believes that the recent sanctions by the European Union are a corrective and supportive step for the path of transitional justice in Syria, and justice for the victims and their families by holding accountable those involved in committing crimes against Syrians. Justice remains the only guarantee for re-building safe Syria where the law and respect for human dignity prevail.
[1] https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250528-eu-sanctions-syrian-militia-groups-ethnic-violence-targeting-alawites
[2] https://insight-md.org/en/?p=1176
[3] https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1699
[5] https://yek-dem.net/ar/?p=15809
[6] https://www.sana.sy/en/?p=345623
[7] https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/c4g94e2wv0wo
[9] https://npasyria.com/210330/
[10] https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/iici-syria/independent-international-commission
[11] https://hevdesti.org/en/appointing-war-criminals-to-lead-the-syrian-army-undermines-justice-and-insults-victims/
