Switzerland’s decision to remove 7 Syrian entities from sanctions lists

The Syrian Future Movement is following with great interest the announcement issued by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, regarding the removal of seven Syrian institutions from the Swiss sanctions lists. These include the Ministries of Defense and Interior, the Air Force Intelligence Directorate, the General Intelligence Directorate, the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Political Security Directorate, and the Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (HIAST). The announcement also included updating the data of 18 individuals and four entities without lifting the restrictions imposed on them.

This step comes within the framework of the ongoing review of Swiss sanctions, following the Swiss Federal Council’s decision on June 20, 2025, to lift most economic sanctions on Damascus in order to support a “peaceful and orderly” political transition.

The Syrian Future Movement welcomes the decision to remove Syrian institutions from the Swiss sanctions lists, considering it a positive step towards enabling state institutions to fulfill their role in security and development.

The Syrian Future Movement also commends this decision, which reflects a shift in the international perception of Syrian state institutions, viewing them not as synonymous with the former regime, but as instruments for building a new Syria. We also recall the analyses of international observers, who stated that “the removal of seven Syrian entities—including the Ministries of Defense and Interior and the intelligence services—from the sanctions blacklist signals that state institutions themselves should no longer be treated as synonymous with the former regime.”

We also see this decision as an implicit recognition of the Syrian government’s seriousness in pursuing reform, and an empowerment of security and military institutions to engage with international partners in a way that strengthens stability and combats terrorism.

The Syrian Future Movement reiterates its consistent positions supporting the lifting of the unjust sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, published on its official website, including:

• The study “Transitional Justice in Syria: Challenges and Prospects” (dated August 19, 2024), which emphasized that improving the humanitarian situation requires a complete and comprehensive lifting of sanctions, allowing for the flow of investments, the return of displaced persons, and reconstruction.
• The study “Priorities for Reconstruction in Syria” (dated December 19, 2024) indicated that economic sanctions were a major obstacle to recovery efforts and called for intensified international pressure to lift them completely.

The Syrian Future Movement notes that this decision, while important, remains a partial step that requires a comprehensive and complete lifting of sanctions.

The Syrian Future Movement observes that the Swiss decision still maintains restrictions on 18 individuals and 4 entities, in addition to ongoing financial sanctions, asset freezes, and a ban on the supply of weapons and equipment used for repression.

It is worth noting that economic sanctions have been and continue to be an obstacle to meeting the basic needs of the Syrian people and hinder the development process.

The Syrian Future Movement emphasizes that improving living conditions and reconstruction require a complete lifting of sanctions, especially given analyses indicating that lifting sanctions would give Syria a real opportunity to receive the necessary funding to revive the economy, establish central government authority, and launch reconstruction projects with clear Gulf support.

While the Syrian Future Movement appreciates this positive step, it notes that the continuation of certain restrictions perpetuates uncertainty, negatively impacting recovery efforts. Based on its national responsibility, the Syrian Future Movement recommends the following:

1. Urging the Syrian government to continue its diplomatic efforts to lift all remaining sanctions and to build upon this decision to bolster international confidence in the seriousness of the reform process, similar to the efforts that led to the lifting of US sanctions under the Caesar Act in December 2015. The Syrian Future Movement supports every step in this direction and is committed to its full success.
2. Leveraging the lifting of sanctions on security and military institutions to strengthen international cooperation in combating terrorism and organized crime, thereby enhancing national and regional security and contributing to regional stability.
3. Activating transparency and oversight mechanisms for the performance of the institutions from which sanctions have been lifted to ensure that no practices contrary to international law or human rights are reinstated, and to strengthen the confidence of international partners.
4. Accelerating the launch of reconstruction and development projects, taking advantage of the easing of financial restrictions and with the participation of the local and international private sector, will contribute to improving the lives of citizens, following the example of countries that have undergone similar transformations.

In conclusion, the Syrian Future Movement reiterates its welcome of this important step, which demonstrates international recognition of the seriousness of the reform process in Syria and confirms that the new state institutions are capable of restoring the confidence of the international community.

It believes that the Syrian government is called upon to build on this momentum and continue the path of political, economic, and security reforms to ensure the complete and comprehensive lifting of sanctions and to achieve the aspirations of the Syrian people for freedom, dignity, and development.

For its part, the Syrian Future Movement will remain supportive, critical, and observant of this path, striving to build a new Syria on the foundations of justice, transparency, and national sovereignty.