Assad's wife 'could face jail sentence after shopping spree'

Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of Syria's president, could be liable for a two-year prison sentence because her online shopping sprees may have broken financial sanctions imposed on her husband, a senior lawyer claimed. Mrs Assad's liking for goods from Harrods, along with boutique furniture-makers and Parisian jewellers, has been disclosed by emails purporting to be from her account. But her husband, Bashar al-Assad, appears as number one on a list of 114 Syrians subjected to European Union financial sanctions. These measures, imposed on Syrian officials held responsible for "brutal repression", freeze any assets owned by targeted individuals in EU member states.