London: Calls to hand over Assad's frozen assets to Syria

Experts in Britain have called for Syria to hand over the frozen assets of ousted President Bashar al-Assad in a London bank.

Following the overthrow of the Baath regime in Syria, news spread that Assad had a frozen account in a British bank containing $68.3 million.

In statements to the Anadolu Agency, the director of the "Action Against Armed Violence" (AOAV) in London, Ian Overton, and foreign relations expert Sirin Kenar, called for the confiscation of these assets and properties and their delivery to the recognized government in Syria.

- "They must be used for the benefit of the Syrian people"

Overton pointed out that the presence of these assets in Britain raises serious concerns about financial monitoring and related laws.

He warned that "this situation makes the United Kingdom a safe haven for illegal assets linked to the ousted Syrian regime", despite its commitment to international laws.

Overton called for using Assad's frozen funds to rebuild Syria and for the benefit of the Syrian people, stressing the need for "close cooperation with international organizations to ensure transparency in their use."

He pointed out that the United Kingdom should develop stronger methods to track assets, stressing the need to provide sufficient resources to discover loopholes in funds linked to Assad.

For her part, foreign relations expert Sirin Kenar stressed the need to withdraw frozen assets from Assad's ownership and hand them over to Syria.

- Assad on the British sanctions list

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, an official at the British Foreign and Development Ministry confirmed that the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 310 individuals and 74 entities linked to the Assad regime, including Bashar Assad himself.

The official, who requested anonymity, explained that "the United Kingdom will work closely with civil society and the international community to ensure that those responsible for war crimes and torture are held accountable."