EU imposes sanctions on individuals, entities from Russia, Syria, North Korea

The European Council approved additional sanctions against several individuals and entities in Syria, Russia, North Korea and Haiti, under the European Union’s Global Human Rights Sanctions System.

During a meeting of European Union foreign ministers chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, the Council adopted sanctions against individuals and entities against officials it described as having committed serious violations against human rights around the world, including torture and systematic violence.

The meeting statement indicated that the Syrian Army Chief of Staff, Abdul Karim Muhammad Ibrahim, and the former Syrian Defense Minister, Ali Mahmoud Abbas, were included on the European humanitarian sanctions list.

From North Korea, the Council included Minister of Internal Security Ri Chang Dae, and Evgeny Sobolev, head of the Russian authority named the “Prison Service” in the Ukrainian Kherson region, was also included.

The statement said that two entities were included on the humanitarian sanctions list, namely the "Kokorat San Ras" gang in Haiti, and the Onseong County Detention Center in North Hamgyong Province, North Korea.