Foreign policy and sanctions

Executive Order 13572: Blocking Property of Certain Persons With Respect to Human Rights Abuses in Syria

President: Barack Obama

Authorized asset freezes against Syrian officials and supporters responsible for human-rights abuses during the 2011 crackdown.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 13572 still in effect? No. Revoked effective July 1, 2025 by EO 14312; solely listed persons were removed and solely blocked property was unblocked.

What does Executive Order 13572 do?

EO 13572 expanded the Syria emergency to target persons responsible for or complicit in human-rights abuses, including support networks, and listed three Syrian officials. It became a major early response to repression of protests. EO 14312 revoked it in 2025 and terminated the underlying Syria emergency while transferring selected Assad and regional targets to other authorities.

Later evidence reviewed September 23, 2026: EO 14312 ordered revocation effective the next day. Federal Register — EO 14312. The revocation took effect on July 1, 2025. Separate sanctions against specified actors can rest on other authorities.

Administration position: The order targeted designated people and their property, not every Syrian citizen; later sanctions under other authorities may still apply to the same person.
SignedApril 29, 2011
AuthorityIEEPA and National Emergencies Act
AdministratorTreasury OFAC
RevokedEffective July 1, 2025

Before and after

Before the order

Earlier Syria sanctions addressed destabilization and corruption but did not contain this specific 2011 human-rights basis.

After the order

Treasury could freeze assets of officials, supporters and entities linked to abuses until the authority was revoked.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
TreasuryDesignate persons and enforce blocksEnded under this order
US personsBlock and report covered propertyEnded for solely EO 13572 property
TreasuryContinue pre-revocation enforcement casesPermitted

What happened next

EO 13572 issued.

EO 14312 ordered revocation effective the next day.

OFAC removed the former Syria regulations.