US House of Representatives approves repeal of Caesar Act on Syria and 8 Conditions
The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to repeal the Caesar Syria Sanctions Act, as part of the National Defense Budget Bill passed Wednesday.
The new measure stipulates that the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act doesn’t take place immediately, but is subject to a series of regulatory conditions.
Among those conditions is the president submitting a preliminary report to a congressional committee within 90 days of the law’s enactment, followed by periodic reports every 180 days over four years to assess progress.
These conditions oblige the Syrian government to demonstrate its commitment to concrete steps in several areas, most notably:
- Confronting and eliminating terrorist organizations.
- Protect religious and ethnic minorities and guarantee their rights.
- Refrain from any unjustified military operations against neighboring countries, including Israel.
- Combating drug production, money laundering and terrorist financing.
- Prosecute those responsible for serious human rights violations committed under the former regime.
The law also provides that if Syria doesn’t meet these requirements during two consecutive periods of periodic reports, targeted sanctions can be re-imposed more easily.
The bill passed 312 lawmakers to 112 in the House of Representatives, and is expected to go to the Senate for a vote next week, before being sent to the US president’s office for signature to become effective.
The Caesar Act was originally passed on December 11, 2019, with the aim of punishing officials of the former Syrian regime, against the background of allegations of war crimes committed against civilians.
Its cancellation could pave the way for the return of foreign investment and assistance to support Syria’s reconstruction and new administration.
