LOC19:21
16:21 GMT
WASHINGTON, July 28 (KUNA) -- The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is sanctioning eight Syrian prisons run by the Assad regime's intelligence apparatus, which have been sites of human rights abuses against political prisoners and other detainees.
OFAC is also designating five senior security officials of regime entities that control these detention facilities.
The Assad regime has waged a ruthless war against the Syrian people, imprisoning hundreds of thousands of Syrians calling for reform and change, of whom at least 14,000 have been tortured to death.
More than 130,000 people reportedly remain missing or arbitrarily detained to this day - the vast majority of whom are either presumed dead or are detained without communication with family or legal representation.
OFAC is also sanctioning Syrian armed group Ahrar Al-Sharqiya, which operates in northern Syria, for abuses against civilians, and is also sanctioning two of the group's leaders.
Ahrar Al-Sharqiya has committed numerous crimes against civilians, particularly Syrian Kurds, including unlawful killings, abductions, torture, and seizures of private property.
The group has also incorporated former Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) members into its ranks. These horrific acts compound the suffering of a population that has repeatedly endured mass displacement.
"Today's designations promote accountability for abuses committed against the Syrian people and deny rogue actors access to the international financial system," said Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea M. Gacki. "This action demonstrates the United States' strong commitment to targeting human rights abuses in Syria, regardless of the perpetrator." (end)
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