Japan lifts asset freeze on 16 Syrian entities, including Defense and Interior
Agencies3 min read
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Japan announced on Tuesday the lifting of asset freeze measures and other restrictions on 16 Syrian entities, including the Ministries of Defense and Interior, banking and oil institutions, while maintaining sanctions on 59 individuals and 15 other entities.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that the government decided to lift the measures on the 16 entities in light of subsequent developments related to the situation in Syria, and considering the bilateral relations between the two countries.
It explained that the decision was based on a decision by the Japanese Cabinet, regarding the partial lifting of asset freeze measures and other procedures imposed on the ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and "individuals and entities associated with him".
The list of entities from which the measures were lifted included the Ministries of Defense and Interior, the Political Security Directorate, the General Organization for Radio and Television, and the Military Housing Establishment.
It also included the Commercial Bank of Syria, the Real Estate Bank, the Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank, and Syria International Islamic Bank.
In the energy sector, Japan lifted measures on the General Petroleum Corporation, the Syrian Petroleum Company, the Syrian Company for Oil Transportation, the "Sitrul" Oil Trading Company, and the Syrian "Mahrouqat" Company for storage and distribution of petroleum products.
The move also included the telecommunications company "Syrettel" and the Cotton Marketing Establishment.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry confirmed that after the new decision, asset freeze measures and other procedures will remain in place for 59 individuals and 15 entities, without specifying them or stating the reasons.
For its part, the Japanese Ministry of Finance said that the asset freeze measures were based on the Japanese Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Law, and require obtaining permission from the competent authorities to make payments or financial transactions with the listed individuals and entities, with the aim of preventing the transfer of funds to them.
Since 2011, Japan has imposed asset freeze measures and other procedures on Bashar al-Assad and individuals and entities linked to his regime, due to the repression he practiced against the Syrians with the start of the revolution in the country on March 18, 2011.
On December 23, 2025, the Syrian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement the resumption of its diplomatic relations with Japan, after a 15-year break.
On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions took control of the capital Damascus, ending 61 years of Baath Party rule, including 53 years of Assad family rule.
