EU will slap sanctions on Assad's wife - Sky News Australia

Updated: 04:25, Saturday March 24, 2012

The wife of Syrian President Bashar Assad will be hit with a travel ban and have her assets in the EU frozen, a European Union official said on Friday.

A total of four members of the Assad family, along with eight government ministers, will be targeted in the latest round of sanctions aimed at stopping the violent crackdown on members of the Syrian opposition, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that will be taken later on Friday by EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

Asma Assad has British citizenship and the EU official said that likely meant she could not be banned from travel to the UK.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said it was very important to increase pressure on the Syrian regime.

'Their behaviour continues to be murdering and totally unacceptable in the yes of the world,' he said on his way into the meeting.

The UN estimates that more than 8,000 people have been killed since the uprising began a year ago in a cycle of attack and reprisal.