The Syrian Future Movement is closely following the contents of the draft US Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which includes a proposal submitted by Senator Rogers Wicker, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, to repeal the Caesar Syria Sanctions Act, which entered into force on June 17, 2020.
We in the Syrian Future Movement affirm that the sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act were a direct result of the grave violations committed by the former regime against the Syrian people, including indiscriminate bombing, arbitrary detention, and systematic torture. These practices, documented by independent international reports, led to stifling political and economic isolation.
In this context, we believe that lifting the sanctions should not be understood as an exoneration of the former regime’s behavior. Rather, it is a necessary step to enable the Syrian people to recover and move toward building a modern state based on justice and citizenship, free from tyranny and corruption.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that Syria today, having paid a heavy price for decades of oppression and marginalization, needs genuine international openness. This begins with lifting the economic restrictions that hinder recovery, and continues through supporting reconstruction efforts, providing a safe environment for the return of refugees, and strengthening civil society institutions.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on the United States, as an effective international power, to:
- Support the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in a way that serves the interests of the Syrian people and accelerates the recovery process.
- Ensure that the lifting of sanctions is conditional on the continuation of the political process, respect for human rights, and the empowerment of Syrians to freely determine their fate.
- Strengthen cooperation with Syrian national forces seeking to build a democratic future, free from the legacy of the former regime.
The Syrian Future Movement also calls on the entire international community to extend a helping hand to Syria, by supporting the current phase to succeed in its path toward building state institutions and unifying the Syrian landscape, and by supporting the people who have proven their resilience and aspiration for freedom and dignity, and who today deserve to be given a real opportunity for progress.
