The photographer behind the new US sanctions on Syria
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The war
More than 380,000 dead, over half of the population forced from their homes, and a country in ruins: Syria's conflict, which started in March 2011, has been devastating.
According to its toll in January 2020, those killed have included more than 115,000 civilians, of whom 22,000 were children and 13,612 women.
According to its toll in January 2020, those killed have included more than 115,000 civilians, of whom 22,000 were children and 13,612 women.
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Caesar
In 2013, a former Syrian military photographer known under the pseudonym Caesar fled the country with 55,000 images of horrifying brutality in Assad's jails between 2011 and 2013.
Disguised, Caesar first testified before Congress in 2014, leading to the new law named after him which comes into force on Wednesday imposing new sanctions on the Syrian regime and its allies.
In the image: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) and US President Donald Trump (R) Agencies: AP/Reuters
Disguised, Caesar first testified before Congress in 2014, leading to the new law named after him which comes into force on Wednesday imposing new sanctions on the Syrian regime and its allies.
In the image: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) and US President Donald Trump (R) Agencies: AP/Reuters
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The Caesar Act
The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 imposes sanctions on anyone who provides significant support to or engages in transactions with the government of Syria or any entity it controls or owns.
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Track the money
The Caesar Act also calls on the US Treasury to determine whether the Central Bank of Syria is “a financial institution of primary money laundering concern” and requires that new sanctions be imposed on a long list of individuals allegedly complicit in human rights abuses.
These include the Syrian president, cabinet members, governors, heads of prisons, and heads of security offices across the country.
These include the Syrian president, cabinet members, governors, heads of prisons, and heads of security offices across the country.
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What the Act wants to achieve
The Caesar Act says it aims to place political and economic pressure on the Syrian government to “compel the government of Bashar al-Assad to halt its murderous attacks on the Syrian people and to support a transition to a government in Syria that respects the rule of law, human rights, and peaceful coexistence with its neighbors.”
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Damage report
The impact will become clearer as months go by and contracts are potentially canceled to avoid sanctions. Sanctions on reconstruction and on oil and gas are likely to be felt most acutely.