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France freezes assets of companies linked to Syria's chemical attacks

PARIS, Jan 23 (KUNA) -- France announced freezing the assets of 25 people and companies from Syria, Lebanon, France and China suspected of taking part in the Syria chemical weapons program.
The French governmentآ’s official gazette published the decision on Tuesday, at a time where Paris is hosting a conference to push for further sanctions and criminal charges against those involved in the chemical attacks in Syria.
The event is held with the participation of about 30 countries, with the presence of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
The freezing included companies working in importing and distributing metals and electronics, however, no sanctions have been imposed on officials in the Syrian government by France. The UN had gathered evidence that Al-Assad's regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons against rebels and civilians since the Syrian civil war broke out in March 2011.
France estimates that there have been 130 chemical attacks between 2012 and 2017, but the so-called Islamic State (IS) is believed to have used chemical weapons too. (end) mjz.ag