Germany urged sanctions against the Syrian government Wednesday, with a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly condemning the shooting of peaceful demonstrators, DPA reported.
He spoke ahead of a debate in the United Nations Security Council, where Russia and China, which both have veto powers, are unwilling to vote for sanctions. Lebanon, also a Security Council member, is also unenthusiastic about sanctions against its big neighbour.
Germany strongly condemns the continued human rights violations by Syrian forces, spokesman Steffen Seibert said in Berlin.
President Bashar Assad's "regime of brutal oppression" had "abandoned all restraint," he told reporters.
"It is guilty of the deaths of hundreds of people," he said. The armed forces had opened fire on peaceful demonstrators and mourners.
Seibert said Berlin "assumed" sanctions would be adopted at the EU level. A Foreign Minisstry spokesman added that ambassadors of EU nations were set to discuss such sanctions on Friday in Brussels.
Possible bans included a refusal of travel visas to senior Syrian officials, freezing their EU assets and halting economic aid, Seibert said.