Germany says sanctions against Syrian war crimes suspects must stay but people need relief

Germany’s foreign minister says sanctions against Syrian officials responsible for war crimes must remain in place but called for a “smart approach” to provide relief to the Syrian population after last month’s overthrow of President Bashar Assad. Annalena Baerbock spoke to reporters on Sunday after arriving in Saudi Arabia for a conference on Syria’s future attended by top European and Middle Eastern diplomats. Germany is one of several countries that imposed sanctions on the Assad government over its brutal crackdown on dissent. Those penalties could hinder Syria’s recovery from nearly 14 years of civil war that killed an estimated 500,000 people and displaced half the prewar population of 23 million.