Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, may have access to a £55 million (around €65 million) fortune held in an account at the HSBC bank in London. A country that is a leader in the defence of human rights and international legality cannot allow the dirty money of a brutal regime to find shelter in its financial system.

Organisations such as The Syria Campaign, the Syrian Legal Development Programme and the Council for Arab-British Understanding have launched an urgent appeal: the British government must immediately freeze the assets of Assad and his allies. The Europeanist strongly endorses this call, stressing the importance of immediate and consistent action. Every pound released represents further support for a regime that has caused incalculable devastation, repression and suffering to the Syrian people.

Freezing is not enough: you need seizure and restitution

It is not just a matter of freezing the funds: activists are calling for the definitive seizure of these assets so that they can be used for the reconstruction of Syria and the support of the victims of the conflict. According to The Syria Campaign, these approximately 55 million pounds represent only a fraction of the wealth illegally accumulated by the Syrian regime through corruption, trafficking and embezzlement.

The fact that the money is deposited with a prestigious institution like HSBC raises questions about the transparency and control of the global financial system. After the invasion of Ukraine, the UK froze the assets of Russian oligarchs and considered using them to help Ukrainian refugees. The same tools must be applied against Assad. Every day of inaction strengthens a regime that has been guilty of unimaginable crimes, leaving behind millions of displaced people and a Syria reduced to rubble.

An imperative of justice, leadership and consistency

Freezing Assad’s millions deposited with HSBC immediately is a matter of consistency and international credibility. The UK has built its reputation on defending human rights and fighting impunity. Allowing Assad and his accomplices access to the British financial system contradicts these core values.

The evidence is clear, the legal instruments exist and justice demands it. It is no longer the time for hesitation. The Europeanist joins the voices of humanitarian organisations calling on the British government to freeze, seize and return these resources to the Syrian people.

Every day of delay is one more day in which Assad benefits from resources that should instead be devoted to healing the wounds of a devastated country. The UK must demonstrate through action that its values are non-negotiable and that international justice is not an abstract concept.

Freeze, seize, return. This is the only way to reassert the moral and political leadership that the UK claims on the global stage. The Europeist demands immediate and consistent action from the British government to finally give justice to a tormented people and reaffirm the principles of legality and human rights that underpin its and Europe’s identity.