Asma al-Assad, president's British-born wife, will still be allowed to visit UK, says William Hague
The European Union has stepped up pressure on Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, by hitting his closest female relatives with new sanctions. The EU has barred his wife, mother, sister and sister-in-law from travelling in the EU and has frozen their bank accounts and other assets.
But, as armed clashes and shelling of civilian areas were reported across the country on another Friday of mass protests, it remained unclear how the move, aimed at curbing the luxury lifestyle of a dynasty engaged in a bloodbath in Syria, would affect Asma al-Assad, the president's British-born wife and until recently an international style icon.
The travel ban placed on the four women means they cannot enter the EU. But Asma al-Assad is exempted from that ban as the former investment banker is a UK national and may still travel to Britain, though not to the rest of the EU.
William Hague, the foreign secretary, confirmed that Assad would be able to visit her parents, who still live in London, but thought she was unlikely to. And despite the asset freeze, British government sources said Assad would still be able to use the house she owns in London. There would be no attempt to strip her of her British nationality.
"British passport-holders have a right of entry to the UK. But given we are imposing an asset freeze on all of these individuals and a travel ban on other members of the same family or regime, we are not expecting Mrs Assad to try and travel to the UK at present," Hague said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
A cache of emails from the Assad regime recently leaked to the Guardian exposed a culture of high-living, luxury shopping sprees in London and Paris at the same time as the regime has turned its artillery indiscriminately on Homs and other heavily populated urban areas.
The latest violence saw fighting near the Turkish border as thousands took part in demonstrations in Damascus, where shots were fired. Security forces also opened fire at protesters in Aleppo, one of Assad's main centres of support. Shelling was reported from Homs and Idlib. Local activists said at least 18 people were killed throughout the country. Al-Jazeera TV said 37 had died.
Ausama Monajed, spokesman for the opposition Syrian National Council, called the EU measures "too little too late".
Under the EU visa regime, the overall travel ban does not stop the holder of a passport of an EU country from continuing to travel to that country.
British officials confirmed that Assad still had a valid UK passport.
"She can still enter the UK. There's nothing legal we can do about it without good reason," said one official.
The curbs on her ability to shop in London may be less comprehensive than previously thought.
The assets freeze means that any UK or EU bank accounts and credit cards would be frozen. But British officials said that under Home Office rules those blacklisted would be barred from purchasing "basic goods" but would still be able to shop for "luxury items". The criteria distinguishing basic from luxury goods was not clear.
"It is important to note that sanctions are imposed on individuals to encourage them to change their behaviour," said a British government source. "The imposition of sanctions would not lead to automatic arrest or action to deprive someone of their nationality."
Assad's assets held in the UK would, however, be frozen, the source added, noting that she would not be able to sell her London home or have access to rental income. "Any money or other asset that is held in the UK will be frozen and can only be unfrozen under a licence from the Treasury," the source said.
President Assad has been under EU sanctions for almost a year, to little appreciable effect on his policies and the bloody crackdown he has implemented against Syrian revolutionaries and civilians.
Ahmet Davutoglu, the foreign minister of Turkey, which has a 500-mile border with Syria and is hosting 17,000 refugees with 1,000 arriving each day, said the president had to be stopped quickly, but Assad constantly played for time in order to crack down ever more ruthlessly.
"I compare Homs with Sarajevo [in the 1990s]," Davutoglu said in Brussels. "No one can justify attacking urban areas indiscriminately. Now they are attacking urban areas with heavy weapons. We have to act quickly … this massacre must be stopped."
The Turkish and EU foreign ministers discussed the real prospect of a full-blown civil war in Syria, a participant told the Guardian. "It's horrible," said the source. "The Syrian National Council is pressing us to send weapons, but no one is prepared to do that. The opposition is very divided."
In addition to Assad's relatives, eight other regime figures and two oil companies were targeted with sanctions.
The new sanctions, bringing to more than 100 the number of regime figures targeted by the EU, showed a resolve, said Hague, "to intensify the pressure, the economic and diplomatic stranglehold on this regime. We cannot just accept that this killing, this repression of the citizens of Syria, goes on."
The Assad women
Anisa Makhlouf
The matriarch who maintains influence over the clan, 12 years after the death of her husband, Hafez al-Assad. Helped convince regime chiefs that the uprising is an Islamist coup.
Asma al-Assad
The leaked emails painted a portrait of a woman comfortable with the trappings of office. She ordered luxury goods as Syria burned in chaos and seems very loyal to her husband.
Bushra al-Assad
Bushra upset the Assad clan when she eloped 13 years ago to marry Assef Shawkat, a divorced father 10 years her senior. Influential behind the scenes, but eschews the spotlight.
Manal al-Assad
The wife of the youngest Assad brother, Maher, who is reputed to be the regime's enforcer. The couple have two children and enjoy a life of privilege in Damascus.