UN Special rapporteur Alena Douhan has called for an end to sanctions on Syria, citing debilitating impacts on Syrians. This prompted concern among activists that Douhan was ignoring crimes committed by the Syrian government. DW's CathrinSchaer reports:
, the European criminal law association's magazine, legal expert Anton Moiseienko described Douhan's work as"eccentric" and suggested it was only a matter of time before her opinions were used to argue against sanctions on Russia.Image: Juma Mohammad/Zuma/picture alliance
It is true that people don't understand her mandate, agreed Karam Shaar, a political economist and expert on Syrian sanctions who has authored multiple reports on the topic."But I believe the topic of sanctions is far more nuanced than is presented in the rapporteur's report. She fails to prove causality and she fails to communicate the nuances related to that too," he told DW.
Both Shaar and Abdul Ghany, of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, think sanctions need to be evaluated regularly to see what impact they are having, as this can change over time. Both also believe in what are known as"smart sanctions." These are more selective sanctions that target specific groups or people, rather than whole sectors, and are meant to minimize unintended suffering.
Douhan believes sanctions should adhere to international law, and should only be imposed by bodies like the UN Security Council, or UNSC. There are other ways for nations to show their displeasure, she argued, such as, for example, curtailing trade agreements or reducing diplomatic presence.