Bashar Assad Appoints Mohammed Ghazi Jalali as Head of New Government Amid Sanctions

Syrian President Bashar Assad has designated former Communications Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali as the new head of government, following the July parliamentary elections. Jalali, who has been under EU sanctions since 2014, has been criticized for his role in the Syrian government's repression during the ongoing conflict.

In a significant political move, Syrian President Bashar Assad named Mohammed Ghazi Jalali, a former Communications Minister, as the leader of the new government following the recent parliamentary elections, state media reported on Saturday.

Jalali, aged 55, has been under European Union sanctions since October 2014 due to his involvement in the government crackdown during Syria's protracted conflict, which has resulted in nearly half a million deaths since 2011. The EU had criticized him as being collectively responsible for the regime's violent actions against civilians, particularly during his tenure as communications minister from August 2014.

The outgoing government has functioned in a caretaker capacity since the mid-July elections, leaving uncertainty over the timeline for Jalali to form a new Cabinet. The EU's sanctions on Syria, first imposed in 2011, include various restrictive measures such as a ban on oil imports and investment restrictions aimed at pressuring the regime.

(With inputs from agencies.)