Sanctioning Assad's Syria

Commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the present report explores the effect of international sanctions on the Syrian economy and their direct and indirect repercussions on the institutional infrastructure, the socioeconomic situation and the political power structures underpinning the regime’s authoritarian rule. The report pays special attention to the restrictive measures imposed by the European Union.

Based on information made available through desk research, phone interviews and field research in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon and Belgium, the report argues that the sanctions have left a considerable mark on the Syrian economy, state institutions and the power structures underpinning the leadership but have also come at a significant socioeconomic cost to the Syrian population.