![Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad attends the Arab Summit, 28 March 2007 in Riyadh. Arab leaders kicked off a two-day summit in Saudi Arabia today aiming to revive a dormant plan for peace with Israel and launch a diplomatic offensive to resolve the Middle East conflict [HASSAN AMMAR/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/GettyImages-73730967.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Britain today announced sanctions on six allies of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, including his foreign minister and close advisers, Reuters reported.
“The Assad regime has subjected the Syrian people to a decade of brutality for the temerity of demanding peaceful reform,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.
Those sanctioned include Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad, Assad adviser Luna Al-Shibl, financier Yassar Ibrahim, businessman Muhammad Bara’ Al-Qatirji, Republican Guard commander Malik Aliaa and Army Major Zaid Salah.
READ: Russian lawmaker slams UK criminal investigation of Asma Al-Assad
This comes as the Sunday Times reported yesterday that British authorities were launching a preliminary investigation into Al-Assad’s wife, Asma Al-Assad. The police probe could result in her being stripped of her British citizenship if she is found to be guilty of “incitement to commit terrorism”.
Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than ten million displaced, according to UN estimates.