Congress Votes Today to Lift "Caesar" Sanctions on Syria

SadaNews - The U.S. Congress will vote today, Wednesday, on the final version of the amendment to repeal the "Caesar Act," which will become a law under which U.S. sanctions on Syria will be lifted permanently and definitively before Christmas.

This was stated in a draft document prepared as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which calls for a periodic review of the performance of the Syrian government.

The draft document indicated that the lifting of sanctions is subject to certain conditions, including that U.S. President Donald Trump must submit an initial report to Congressional committees within 90 days, followed by reports every 180 days for four years.

The draft stipulates that Syria must confirm that it is taking concrete steps in combating terrorist organizations, respecting minority rights, refraining from unilateral military action against neighboring countries, combating money laundering and financing terrorism, pursuing crimes against humanity committed during the tenure of the ousted regime, and fighting drug production.

It mentioned that failure to meet these conditions during two consecutive reporting periods could result in the re-enforcement of sanctions.

On November 10, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a 180-day suspension of the sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act.

Crimes and Sanctions

On December 11, 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the Caesar Act to punish members of the Assad regime for war crimes committed against civilians in Syria.

The repeal of the law could pave the way for the return of foreign investments and aid to support the new Syrian government led by President Ahmad al-Shara, which was established in March 2025.

The U.S. sanctions have posed a significant obstacle to the recovery of the Syrian economy, and their lifting is seen as evidence of the success of the new Syrian government.

The Caesar Act of 2019 imposed broad sanctions on Syria targeting individuals, companies, and institutions linked to Assad, who ruled Syria after the death of his father Hafez al-Assad from 2000 until his ousting in 2024.

These sanctions were named after the pseudonym of a Syrian military photographer who leaked thousands of horrific images documenting the torture and war crimes committed by the Assad government.