Demonstrations for the tenth anniversary of the Syrian revolution .. Britain imposes new sanctions on the Assad regime and international calls to end the crisis

Demonstrations took place in northwestern Syria on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the start of the Syrian revolution, and Britain announced the imposition of new sanctions on the regime, coinciding with British and French declarations that a solution to the crisis should be found, and Ankara called on Washington to work with it to end the conflict.

Thousands of demonstrators in several cities and towns in northern Syria chanted slogans, through which they assured that the revolution would proceed, until the regime was overthrown, held accountable, detainees released, and its demands fulfilled.

The demonstrators also raised slogans calling on the international community to hold the Syrian regime and its allies accountable for the crimes it committed, and called on the international community to pressure the regime to release thousands of detainees in its prisons and detention centers.

Britain and France

On the international level, Britain announced the imposition of a new package of sanctions on 6 officials in the regime, namely, Foreign Minister Faisal Al-Miqdad, the President's Media Adviser Luna Al-Shibl, businessmen Yasser Ibrahim and Muhammad Baraa Al-Qatraji, Republican Guard Commander Malek Alia and Army Major Zaid Salah

The British government said in a statement that it was "the first use of the independent sanctions regime in the United Kingdom," which came into effect after the end of the Brexit transition period.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, "Today, we hold six other members of the regime accountable for their comprehensive assault on the citizens they are supposed to protect."

The British special envoy to Syria, Jonathan Hargreaves, said in an interview with Al-Jazeera that Britain and its allies are committed to ensuring that the Syrian crisis ends, and that it does not enter another decade.

The British envoy stressed that the only way to solve it is a peaceful political settlement led by Syria sponsored by the United Nations and based on Security Council Resolution 2254, and with the serious participation of the regime, Iran and Russia.

Hargreaves also confirmed his country's endeavor to hold President Bashar al-Assad responsible for the crimes committed by the regime in Syria, by supporting the independent and impartial international mechanism run by the United Nations that documents and collects evidence for these crimes, as well as with the support of the International Justice and Accountability Commission, which plays a similar role.

The envoy confirmed the imposition of the new taxes, adding, "There are 350 individuals from the Syrian regime who have been sanctioned by the United Kingdom and the perpetrators will be prosecuted."

On the other hand, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a tweet, "To the Syrian people, I want to say: We will never give up this battle."

"We will remain by his side to respond to his humanitarian needs, defend international law, fight impunity and find the only possible political solution," he added.

Refugees in Idlib camp light candles on the occasion of the anniversary of the revolution (Anatolia)

Turkey's position

In turn, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the administration of his US counterpart, Joe Biden, to work with Turkey to end the human tragedy in Syria, in an article Erdogan wrote for the American newspaper Bloomberg on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the revolution.

Erdogan said, "The Biden administration must fulfill its promises and work with us to end the tragedy in Syria," considering that establishing a political system capable of representing all Syrians is necessary to bring about peace and stability, and that this goal is "linked to the honest Western support for Turkey."

"I say it with pride, the Turkish position has not changed since the beginning of the internal war in Syria," he said.

Erdogan indicated that the humanitarian situation in Syria will be the final measure of the sincerity of states ’positions, especially since the defense of human rights, freedoms and democracy has become widely circulated recently, according to him.

Erdogan stressed that the West should first take a clear stand against the PKK militia, which "attacks the safe areas (in Syria) and supports the bloody regime," explaining that his country "was at the forefront of countries that fought terrorist organizations and delivered humanitarian aid to the Syrians."

The Turkish president pointed to the need not to forget the killing and torture of hundreds of thousands of people in Syria and the displacement of millions, just because of their demand for democracy, freedom and human rights, stressing that the practices of the Syrian regime and its supporters have resulted in horrific results such as asylum and terrorism.