amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 29 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Whereas:
(1)
On 31 May 2013, the Council adopted Decision 2013/255/CFSP (1).
(2)
On 27 May 2021, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2021/855 (2), extending the restrictive measures set out in Decision 2013/255/CFSP until 1 June 2022.
(3)
On the basis of a review of Decision 2013/255/CFSP, the restrictive measures set out therein should be extended until 1 June 2023.
(4)
The entries for 18 natural persons and 13 entities in the list of natural and legal persons, entities or bodies set out in Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP should be updated and amended.
(5)
The entries for two deceased individuals should be deleted from the list set out in Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP.
(6)
The entry for one individual should be deleted from the list set out in Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP following a judgement of the General Court on 16 March 2022.
(7)
Decision 2013/255/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
Decision 2013/255/CFSP is amended as follows:
(1)
the title is replaced by the following:
‘Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP of 31 May 2013 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria’;
(2)
Article 34 is replaced by the following:
‘Article 34
This Decision shall apply until 1 June 2023. It shall be kept under constant review. It may be renewed, or amended as appropriate, if the Council deems that its objectives have not been met.’;
(3)
Annex I is amended as set out in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels, 30 May 2022.
For the Council
The President
C. COLONNA
(1) Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP of 31 May 2013 concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ L 147, 1.6.2013, p. 14).
(2) Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/855 of 27 May 2021 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria (OJ L 188, 28.5.2021, p. 90).
ANNEX
Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP is amended as follows:
(1)
in Section A (Persons), the following entries are deleted:
40.
Muhammad Bukhaytan;
262.
Salam Tohme;
293.
Abdelkader Sabra;
(2)
in Section A (Persons), the following entries replace the corresponding entries in the list:
Name
Identifying information
Reasons
Date of listing
‘3.
Ali MAMLUK
(a.k.a. Ali Mamlouk; Ali Al-Mamlouk; Abu Ayham )
(علي المملوك; أبو أيهم; علي مملوك)
Date of birth: 19.2.1946;
Place of birth: Damascus, Syria;
Diplomatic passport No 983;
Gender: male
Vice President of the Syrian Arab Republic for Security Affairs. Former Director of the National Security Bureau. Former Head of Syrian Intelligence Directorate involved in violence against demonstrators.
9.5.2011
4.
Atif NAJIB
(a.k.a. Atef; Atej Najeeb)
(عاطف نجيب)
Place of birth: Jablah, Syria;
Rank: Brigadier General;
Gender: male
Former Head of the Political Security Directorate in Dara’a. Involved in violence against demonstrators. Member of the Assad family; cousin of President Bashar al-Assad.
Leading businessperson operating in Syria, with interests and/or activities in the telecommunications, oil, plastic and tabacco industry sectors and close business relations with Maher al-Assad. He is linked to smuggling activities.
He benefits from and provides support to the Syrian regime, through his business activities.
Associate of Maher al-Assad, including through his business activities.
27.1.2015
33.
Ayman JABIR
(a.k.a. Aiman Jaber)
(أيمن جابر)
Place of birth: Latakia, Syria;
Gender: male
Leading businessman operating in Syria, involved in the steel, media, consumable goods and oil sectors, including in trading those goods. He has financial interests and/or holds senior executive positions in a number of companies and entities in Syria, in particular Al Jazira (a.k.a. Al Jazerra, El Jazireh), Dunia TV and Sama Satellite Channel.
Through his company Al Jazira, Ayman Jabir has facilitated the importation of oil from Overseas Petroleum Trading to Syria.
Ayman Jabir benefits from and provides support to the Syrian regime, through his business interests.
Provides direct support for and plays a leading role in activities of regime-affiliated militias known as Shabiha and/or Suqur as-Sahraa. He is an honorary president of “Wafa lil-Watan” (loyalty to homeland), which is an association providing aid to families of Syrian soldiers and militias.
Associate of Rami Makhlouf through his business activities, and an associate of Maher al-Assad through his role in regime-affiliated militias.
27.1.2015
48.
Samir HASSAN
(سمير حسن)
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria, with interests and/or activities in multiple sectors of Syria’s economy. He holds interests in and/or has significant influence in the Amir Group and Cham Holding, two conglomerates with interests in the real estate, tourism, transport and finance sectors. President of the Syria-Russia Business Council and plays a significant role in the economic relations with the Russian Federation through the Syria-Russia Business Council.
Samir Hassan supports the Syrian regime’s war effort with cash donations.
Samir Hassan is associated with persons benefitting from or supporting the regime. In particular, he is associated with Rami Makhlouf and Issam Anbouba, who have been designated by the Council and benefit from the Syrian regime.
27.9.2014
114.
Emad Abdul-Ghani SABOUNI
(a.k.a. Imad Abdul Ghani Al Sabuni)
(عماد عبدالغني صابوني)
Date of birth: 1964;
Place of birth: Damascus, Syria;
Gender: male
Former Minister of Telecommunications and Technology, in office until at least April 2014. As a former Government Minister, shares responsibility for the Syrian regime’s violent repression of the civilian population. Former Head of Planning and International Cooperation Agency (PICC). The PICC is a government agency, affiliated to the Prime Ministry and produces, in particular, the five-year plans that provide the broad guidelines for the Government’s economic and development policies.
Former Head of the Security Committee of the Southern Region from 2018 to 2020. Former Head of the General Security Directorate. Major General. From April 2012 to 2 December 2018, was head of the Homs branch of the Political Security Directorate (succeeded Brigadier General Nasr al-Ali). Since 3 December 2018, head of the Political Security Directorate. Director of the General Intelligence Department since 2019. Responsible for the torture of opponents in custody.
24.7.2012
203.
George HASWANI
(a.k.a. Heswani; Hasawani; Al Hasawani)
Address: Damascus Province, Yabroud, Al Jalaa St, Syria;
Other information: Hesco Engineering and Construction Company Ltd is registered at the same London address as British firm, Savero Ltd.;
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria, with interests and/or activities in the engineering, construction and oil and gas sectors. He holds interests in and/or has significant influence in a number of companies and entities in Syria, in particular HESCO Engineering and Construction Company, a major engineering and construction company.
Address: Hamsho Building 31 Baghdad Street, Damascus, Syria;
Gender: male
Occupies a senior management position in Hamsho Trading. As a result of his senior position in Hamsho Trading, a subsidiary of Hamsho International, which has been designated by the Council, he provides support to the Syrian regime. He is also associated with a designated entity, Hamsho International.
He is also vice-president of the Syrian Council of Iron and Steel alongside designated regime businessmen such as Ayman Jabir. Hamsho’s assets include Syrian Metal Industries, a steel plant outside Damascus, which Hamsho has supplied with scrap metal looted by pro-government militias over the course of the war. He is also an associate of President Bashar al-Assad.
7.3.2015
245.
Muhammad Yousef HASOURI
(a.k.a. Mohammad Yousef Hasouri; Mohammed Yousef Hasouri)
(محمد يوسف حاصوري)
Rank: Brigadier General;
Gender: male
Brigadier General Muhammad Hasouri is a senior officer of the Syrian Air Force, in post after May 2011. He held the position as Chief of Staff of Air Force Brigade 50 and Deputy Commander of the Shayrat Airbase. Brigadier General Muhammad Hasouri operates in the chemical weapons proliferation sector and was involved in the chemical massacre in “Khan Sheikhoun” of 4 April 2017. As a senior military officer he is responsible for the violent repression of the civilian population in Syria.
Former Governor of Hasaka, appointed by President Bashar al-Assad; he is associated with President Bashar al-Assad.
Holds the rank of Major General, a senior officer and former Chief of Staff of the Syrian Air Force.
As a senior officer of the Syrian Air Force, he is responsible for the violent repression of the civilian population in Syria, including the use of chemical weapons attacks by the Syrian regime during his tenure as Chief of Staff of the Syrian Air Force, as identified in the report of the Joint Investigative Mechanism established by the United Nations.
Position: Co-owner of Zubaidi and Qalei LLC; Director of Agar Investment Company; General Manager of Al Zubaidi company and Al Zubaidi & Al Taweet Contracting Company; Director and Owner of Zubaidi Development Company; co-owner of Enjaz Investment Company;
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria, with significant investments in the construction industry, including a 50 % stake in Zubaidi and Qalei LLC, which is constructing the luxury tourist city Grand Town and to which the regime has granted a 45-year agreement in return for 19-21 % of its revenue. Khaled al-Zubaidi benefits from and/or supports the Syrian regime through his business activities, in particular through this stake in the Grand Town development.
Khaled Zubaidi signed a (350 000 USD worth) sponsorship with a Syrian football club “Wihda FC” through one of his companies “Hijaz Company”. Member of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Tourism since 2019.
21.1.2019
283.
Mohammed Nazer JAMAL EDDIN
(a.k.a. Nazir Ahmad, Mohammed Jamal Eddine ; Jamal Aldiyn)
(محمد ناذر جمال الدين)
Date of birth: 2.1.1962;
Place of birth: Damascus, Syria;
Nationality: Syrian;
Passport number: N 011612445, issue no. 002-17-L022286 (place of issue: Syrian Arab Republic);
ID Number: 010-30208342 (place of issue: Syrian Arab Republic);
Position: Co-founder and majority shareholder of Apex Development and Projects LLC and founder of A’ayan Company for Projects and Equipment;
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria with significant investments in the construction industry, including a controlling 90 % stake in Apex Development and Projects LLC, which has entered into a USD 34,8 million joint venture for the construction of Marota City, a regime-backed luxury residential and commercial development. Through his participation in the Marota City development, Mohammed Nazer Jamal Eddin benefits from and/or supports the Syrian regime. In May 2019, Jamal Eddin created “Trillium Private JSC”, a 15 million SYP company involved in the trade of building materials and electrical products.
21.1.2019
284.
Mazin AL-TARAZI
(a.k.a. ; Mazen al-Tarazi)
(مازن الترزي)
Date of birth: September 1962;
Nationality: Syrian;
Position: Businessperson;
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria, with significant investments in the construction and aviation sectors. Through his investments and activities, Mazin al-Tarazi benefits from and/or supports the Syrian regime. In particular, Mazin al-Tarazi has concluded a deal with Damascus Cham Holding for a USD 320 million investment in the construction of Marota City, a regime-backed luxury residential and commercial development. He has also been granted a licence for a private airline in Syria. In September 2019, he created “al-Dana Group Investments LLC”, a 25 million SYP company involved in export-import and investing in tourism facilities and commercial complexes.
Turkish Passport number: U 09471711 (place of issue Turkey; expiry date 21.7.2024);
Syrian national number: 06010274705;
Address: Platinum Tower, office No 2405, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, UAE;
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria, with interests and activities in multiple sectors of Syria’s economy. Samer Foz provides financial and other support to the Syrian regime, including funding the Military Security Shield Forces in Syria and brokering grain deals. He also benefits financially from access to commercial opportunities through the wheat trade and reconstruction projects as a result of his links to the regime.
Samer Foz opened a sugar refining factory (“Samer Foz Factory”) in 2021 in support of the Syrian regime’s objective to increase sugar production across the country.
Position: CEO of Katerji Group (a.k.a. Al Qatarji, Al Qatarji Company/Qatirji Company/ Khatirji Group/Katerji International Group);
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria, who is also a Member of the Syrian Parliament. Al Qatarji supports and benefits from the Syrian regime through enabling, and profiting from, trade deals with the regime in relation to oil and wheat.
Hussam Al Qatarji, with his family, has secured a license to create a new bank, the National Islamic Bank. They have also acquired a new cement plant from the government, through one of their companies, Nabd Contracting and Construction. They also expanded in the tourism sector creating Arman Hotel and Tourist Management LLC. They also entered into a joint venture with the ministry of tourism “Bere Aleppo Private JSC”. Hussam Al Qatarji and his family also run a militia in Aleppo. In Oct. 2021, Qaterji’s BS Company for Oil Services signed a deal with the regime to supply gas stations with fuel in regime held areas.
Position: President of Damascus Countryside (Rural) Province Chamber of Commerce;
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links:
Larosa Furniture/Furnishing; Jasmine Fields Company Ltd.; Muruj Cham (Murooj al-Cham) Investment and Tourism Group; Adam and Investment LLC; Universal Market Company LLC; Treasurer of the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce;
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating in Syria benefiting from and supporting the regime. Owner of multiple businesses and holding companies with interests and activities in various economic sectors such as real estate, the luxury hotel industry and commercial centres. Waseem al-Kattan rose rapidly as a leading businessman by imposing taxes on goods smuggled into Eastern Ghouta under siege, and is now involved in aggressive forms of clientelism to the benefit of the regime. Waseem al-Kattan benefits financially from favoured access to public tenders as well as to licences and contracts awarded by government agencies as a result of his close ties to the regime.
In 2020, Al-Kattan was elected member of the Damascus Chamber of Commerce. In November 2021, Al-Kattan was appointed secretary of the Federation of Syrian chambers of commerce by the Syrian Government, despite having lost elections.
17.2.2020
294.
Khodr Ali TAHER
(a.k.a. خضر علي طاهر)
Date of birth: 1976;
Nationality: Syrian;
Position: Director and owner of Ella Media Services; founding partner of Castle Security and Protection and of Jasmine Contracting Company; Chairman and founding partner of the Syrian Hotel Management Company; Manager and owner of Ematel;
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links:
Citadel for Protection; Guard and Security Services (Castle Security and protection); Ematel LLC (Ematel Communications); Syrian Hotel Management Company; Jasmine Contracting Company;
Gender: male
Leading businessperson operating across multiple sectors of the Syrian economy, including private security, mobile phone retail, hotel management, advertising services, domestic money transfer, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Supports and benefits from the Syrian regime through cooperation in his business activities and his involvement in smuggling and profiteering activities. Khodr Ali Taher owns a number of companies and has co-founded others. His involvement in business dealings with the regime includes entering into a joint venture with the Syrian Transport and Tourism Company, of which the Ministry of Tourism owns a two-thirds stake.
17.2.2020’
(3)
in Section B (Entities), the following entries replace the corresponding entries in the list:
Held by Rami Makhlouf. Syria’s largest real estate company and the real estate and investment arm of Cham Holding; provides funding to the Syrian regime.
23.6.2011
2.
Al Mashreq Investment Fund (AMIF)
(a.k.a. Sunduq Al Mashrek Al Istithmari)
P.O. Box 108, Damascus, Syria;
Tel: +963 112110059 / 963 112110043;
Fax: +963 933333149
Held by Rami Makhlouf; provides funding to the Syrian regime.
Subsidiary of the General Corporation for Refining and Distribution of Petroleum Products (GCRDPP), a section of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. As such it provides financial support to the Syrian regime.
23.7.2014
57.
The Homs Refinery Company
(a.k.a Hims, General Company for Homs Refinery)
General Company for Homs Refinery Building, 352 Tripoli Street, Homs, P.O. Box 352, Syria
Tel: 963-3125-16401
Fax: 963-3124-70101
Email : homs-refine@mail.sy
Subsidiary of the General Corporation for Refining and Distribution of Petroleum Products (GCRDPP), a section of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. As such it provides financial support to the Syrian regime.
Hamsho group, Damascus countryside – northern road-ring, Hamsho for trading and constructions;
Email: info@hamsho-group.com;
Tel: 00963 (11) 3227530
Subsidiary of Hamsho International, which has been designated by the Council.
As such, Hamsho Trading is associated with a designated entity, Hamsho International.
Supports the Syrian regime through its subsidiaries, including Syria Steel. Through its subsidiaries it is associated with groups such as the pro-regime Shabiha militias.
7.3.2015
77.
Al Qatarji Company
(a.k.a. Qatarji International Group; Al-Sham and Al-Darwish Company; Qatirji/Khatirji/Katarji/Katerji Group)
(مجموعة/شركة قاطرجي)
Type of entity: private company;
Business sector: import/export; trucking; supply of oil and commodities;
Name of Director/Management: Hussam Al Qatarji, CEO (designated by the Council);
Ultimate beneficial owner: Hussam Al Qatarji (designated by the Council);
Registered address: Mazzah, Damascus, Syria;
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links: Arvada/Arfada Petroleum Company JSC
Prominent company operating across multiple sectors of the Syrian economy. By facilitating fuel, arms and ammunition trade between the regime and various actors including ISIL (Da’esh) under the pretext of importing and exporting food items, supporting militias fighting alongside the regime and taking advantage of its ties with the regime to expand its commercial activity, Al Qatarji Company – whose board is headed by designated person Hussam Al Qatarji, a member of the Syrian People’s Assembly – supports and benefits from the Syrian regime.
17.2.2020
78.
Damascus Cham Holding Company
(a.k.a. Damascus Cham Private Joint Stock Company
(القابضة الشام دمشق)
Type of entity: public-owned company under private law;
Business sector: real estate development;
Name of Director/Management: Adel Anwar al-Olabi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Governor of Damascus (designated by the Council);
Ultimate beneficial owner: Governorate of Damascus;
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links: Rami Makhlouf (designated by the Council); Samer Foz (designated by the Council); Mazen Tarazi (designated by the Council); Talas Group, owned by businessman Anas Talas (designated by the Council); Khaled al-Zubaidi (designated by the Council).
Damascus Cham Holding Company was established by the regime as the investment arm of the Governorate of Damascus in order to manage the properties of the Governorate of Damascus and implement the Marota City project, a luxurious real estate project based on expropriated land under Decree No 66 and Law No 10 in particular.
By managing the implementation of Marota City, Damascus Cham Holding (whose Chairman is the Governor of Damascus) supports and benefits from the Syrian regime and provides benefits to businesspeople with close ties to the regime who have struck lucrative deals with this entity through public-private partnerships.