UN sanctions lifted for Syrian leader

TT

Published 21.27

 

Ahmed al-Sharaa. Archive photo. Photo: Andres Kudacki/AP/TT

The UN Security Council has voted in favor of a resolution from the United States to lift sanctions on Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa.

The decision was made on Thursday evening and comes ahead of al-Sharaa's visit to the White House on Monday.

"The Security Council decides that Ahmed al-Sharaa and (Interior Minister) Anas Hasan Khattab be removed from the sanctions list regarding IS and al-Qaeda," the resolution states, which 14 of the member states voted in favor. China abstained from voting.

Ahmed al-Sharaa was the leader of the Islamist rebel group HTS that led the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad in December last year.

The movement, which was linked to al-Qaeda, has been officially dissolved, but its members have been incorporated into the new state apparatus. The US lifted its terrorist designation of the group in July of this year, and the UK did so as recently as last week.