The European Council has approved new restrictive measures targeting individuals and entities allegedly responsible for severe human rights abuses, including sexual and gender-based violence. These sanctions, implemented under the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanction Regime, encompass travel bans and asset freezes against four individuals and two entities.
The individuals sanctioned include Abdel Karim Mohammed Ibrahim, Chief of Staff of the Syrian Army, and former Syrian Minister of Defence Ali Mahmoud. Both are accused of overseeing soldiers who committed widespread torture, rape, and violence. These individuals had already faced similar sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom in 2023 (European Council; UK Government).
North Korean Minister of State Security, Ri Chang Dae, is also on the list for his role in the sexual and gender-based violence perpetrated by officials in detention centers. A 2023 UN report highlighted systematic discrimination against women and girls in North Korea, challenging governmental claims of non-discrimination (UN Report).
Evgeniy Sobolev, head of the penitentiary service for Russian occupation authorities in Ukraine’s Kherson region, has been sanctioned due to ongoing human rights violations in detention facilities under his jurisdiction. Human Rights Watch has provided evidence of unlawful detentions and torture within these facilities (HRW Report).
The two entities sanctioned are the Haitian gang Kokorat San Ras, notorious for using violence against women, and the Onsong County MSS Detention Centre in North Korea. Reports have documented severe maltreatment at this detention center, including starvation, poor hygiene, enslavement, and forced abortions (Council Document).
This action under the EU’s Global Human Rights Sanction Regime is part of ongoing efforts to hold those responsible for serious human rights violations accountable. The regime now includes sanctions against 117 individuals and 33 entities globally (Council Policies).
For additional details, refer to the full article on JURIST.