EU court upholds sanctions against two Syrians

The EU's General Court in Luxembourg dismissed the Syrians' appeal against the economic sanctions

A top European Union court has upheld sanctions imposed on two Syrians over their close ties to the regime, including an asset freeze targeting a cousin of President Bashar Assad.

The EU's General Court in Luxembourg on Friday dismissed the Syrians' appeal against the economic sanctions decided by the 28-nation bloc two years ago.

The court says lieutenant-colonel Eyad Makhlouf, a brother to Assad's wealthy and influential cousin Rami Makhlouf, was included in the sanctions list because of his involvement in violence against civilians. It says Issam Anbouba was targeted for providing economic support to the Syrian regime in his role as the head of a major agro-industrial firm.

The court says the EU followed due procedure in its decision, noting that neither plaintiff provided evidence to void the allegations.