As Syria begins the long road to recovery after more than 50 years of dictatorship with millions of people still dependent on aid, billions of euros remain frozen in Europe. These are funds taken from the Syrian people — accumulated over decades of systematic corruption, abuse of power, and repression by the Assad regime. This money does not belong to Assad’s clan — it belongs to the Syrian people. Some of these funds have been frozen, but they remain largely unused. And that’s a problem.
To this day, we don’t know the full extent of the Assad clan’s wealth, how much of it is in Europe, where exactly it is — or even what portion has actually been sanctioned. These assets are cleverly hidden — spread across bank accounts, real estate, gold reserves, shell companies, and front men. The key question is: How can they be used legally for the reconstruction of Syria or to compensate victims?
Without transparency and legal frameworks, these funds remain blocked. And with each passing year, the risk grows that they will simply disappear — back into the hands of those who are responsible for the war. A report by RND highlights this problem. The Syria Report also covers the issue.
Assad und seine Schergen haben sich jahrzehntelang auf Kosten des syrischen Volkes bereichert – dieses Geld gehört nicht ihnen, sondern den Syrerinnen und Syrern.
Using the tools we already have
There are already existing pathways we can use: Capital gains from frozen assets could be directed straight into compensation funds for victims without changing the law. Fines from legal proceedings — such as those in France — must also systematically benefit those affected.
We also need close cooperation with non-EU countries like Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Large sums from the Assad network are stored there too. Only through international coordination can we prevent these funds from being permanently blocked — or worse, returned to the regime.
As a next step, the Syrian transitional government should join the Rome Statute and retroactively recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. This would allow legal proceedings to begin and assets to be confiscated in a legally secure way.
The money belongs to the Syrian people
In the long term, the EU must finally create clear legal frameworks to seize frozen and sanctioned assets and use them for Syria’s reconstruction. We are already having this debate in the case of Russian assets — for Syria, it is just as urgent and long overdue.
As long as there is no democratically legitimate government in Syria, this money must not return to state hands. Instead, we need independent international funds that operate transparently — and in close coordination with Syrian civil society.
The international community has seen too often how dictators’ frozen assets disappear into legal dead ends. The case of Gaddafi shows how difficult it is to return funds even when the political will is there. We must not repeat this failure in Syria. This money belongs to the Syrian people. And it is time it truly benefits them.
