Bern: The Swiss Federal Council has announced a decision to impose an additional freeze on the assets of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his inner circle. This move aims to prevent any funds associated with Assad from leaving Switzerland before their legitimacy is subjected to judicial scrutiny.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Council’s measures are designed to ensure that if the assets are determined to be of illicit origin in the future, they will be returned in a manner that benefits the Syrian populace. The Council emphasized that the current actions target individuals who held public positions under the authoritarian regimes of Bashar and his father Hafez al-Assad, as well as those with close familial, personal, or commercial ties to them.

In a previous announcement last December, the Swiss government revealed that Syrian assets worth $112 million were frozen in the country. These assets have largely remained frozen for years due to European Union sanctions imposed against Syria in May 2011.