Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2020/212 of 17 February 2020 implementing Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria
Date: 2020-02-17
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Syria, economic sanctions, international sanctions, legal person, natural person








LI2020043EN.01000601.xml










17.2.2020   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


LI 43/6








            COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION (CFSP) 2020/212
of 17 February 2020
         
implementing 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 31(2) thereof,


Having regard to Council Decision 2013/255/CFSP of 31 May 2013 concerning restrictive measures against Syria (1), and in particular Article 30(1) 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.












(2)


In view of the fact that prominent businesspersons are making large profits through their ties with the Assad regime and are helping to finance that regime in return, including through the joint ventures formed by certain prominent businesspersons and entities with State-backed companies to develop expropriated land, those businesspersons and entities are supporting and benefiting from the Assad regime including through the use of expropriated property.












(3)


Furthermore, the expropriation of land by the Assad regime from persons displaced by the conflict in Syria prevents those persons from being able to return to their homes.












(4)


Eight natural persons and two entities should be added to the list of natural and legal persons, entities or bodies subject to restrictive measures in Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP.












(5)


Decision 2013/255/CFSP should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:



Article 1
Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP is amended as set out in the Annex to this Decision.


Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




Done at Brussels, 17 February 2020.


For the Council


The President

J. BORRELL FONTELLES
            





(1)  
            OJ L 147, 1.6.2013, p. 14.




ANNEX

1.   
The following persons are added to the list set out in Section A (Persons) of Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP:









 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘288


Yasser Aziz ABBAS
(a.k.a. Yasser, Yaser, Yasr; Aziz, Aziz; Abbas, Abas; ياسر عزيز عباس)


Gender: male
Date of birth: 22.8.1978
Nationality: Syrian
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links: Bajaa Trading Services LLC, Qudrah Trading, Tafawoq Tourism Projects Company, Top Business, Yang King, Al-Aziz Group


Leading businessperson operating in Syria. Supports and/or benefits from the regime through business dealings, including fuel smuggling and weapons transfers. Yasser Aziz Abbas profits from facilitating oil imports on behalf of the Syrian regime and uses his relations with the regime to obtain preferential dealings and treatment.


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289.


Mahir BurhanEddine AL-IMAM
(a.k.a. ماهر برهان الدين الإمام)


Gender: male
Nationality: Syrian
Position: General Manager of Telsa Group/Telsa Telecom
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links: Telsa Group/Telsa Telecom; Tazamon Contracting LLC; Castro LLC


Leading businessperson operating in Syria with business interests in tourism, telecommunications and real estate. As General Manager of the regime-backed Telsa Communication Group as well as of Castro LLC, and through his other business interests, Mahir BurhanEddine Al-Imam benefits from the regime and supports its financing and lobbying policy as well as its construction policy.


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290.


Waseem AL-KATTAN
(a.k.a. Waseem, Wasseem, Wassim, Wasim; Anouar; Al-Kattan, Al-Katan, Al-Qattan, Al-Qatan; وسيم قطان, وسيم أنوار القطان)


Gender: male
Date of birth: 4.3.1976
Nationality: Syrian
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


Leading businessperson operating in Syria benefitting from and supporting the regime. Owner of multiple businesses and holding companies with interests and activities in various economic sectors such as real estate, 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.


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291.


Amer FOZ
(a.k.a. عامر فوز)


Gender: male
Date of birth: 11.3.1976
Nationality: Syrian
Passport Number: 06010274747
Position: General Manager of ASM International General Trading LLC (ASM International Trading)
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links: EU-designated Samer Foz; EU-designated Aman Holding (Aman Damascus Joint Stock Company); ASM International General Trading LLC (ASM International Trading)


Leading businessperson with personal and family business interests and activities in multiple sectors of the Syrian economy, including through Aman Holding (formerly known as the Aman Group). Through Aman Holding, he benefits financially from access to commercial opportunities and supports the Assad regime, including through involvement in the regime-backed development of Marota City. Since 2012, he has also been General Manager of ASM International Trading LLC.
He is also associated with his brother Samer Foz, who has been designated by the EU since January 2019 as a leading businessperson operating in Syria and for supporting or benefiting from the regime.


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292.


Saqr RUSTOM
(a.k.a. Saqr, Saqer; As'ad, Asaad, Asad; Al-Rustom, Al-Rostom; صقر رستم, صقر أسعد الرستم)


Gender: male
Nationality: Syrian
Position: Head of National Defence Force in Homs
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links: Damas Real Estate Development and Investment LLC


Head of the local branch of the National Defence Force in Homs (a regime militia - Shabiha). Responsible for its participation in the brutal repression of the civilian population in Syria. Through his militia, Saqr Rustom is responsible for multiple war profiteering schemes and is therefore benefiting from and supporting the Syrian regime. Associated with designated person Bassam Hassan, his uncle, with whom he established the Damas Real Estate Development and Investment LLC in order to invest in real estate projects.


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293.


Abdelkader SABRA
(a.k.a. Abdelkader, Abd el Kader, Abd al Kader, Abdul Kader Abd al Qadr, Abdul Qadr; Sabra, Sabrah; عبد القادر صبرا; عبد القادر صبره)


Gender: male
Date of birth: 14.9.1955
Nationality: Syrian; Lebanese
Position: Owner of Sabra Maritime Agency; head of the Syrian-Turkish Businessmen Council; founding partner of Phoenicia Tourism Company; President of the Chamber of Maritime Navigation in Syria
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links:
Phoenicia Tourism Company (شركة فينيقيا للسياحة); Sabra Maritime Agency (كالة صبره البحرية)


Leading businessperson operating in Syria with multiple economic interests, especially in the maritime and tourism sectors. As a major shipping magnate and a close business associate of Rami Makhlouf (regime supporter and cousin of Bashar al-Assad), Abdelkader Sabra provides financial and economic support for the Syrian regime, including through offshore companies. Abdelkader Sabra also benefits from his ties to the regime, which have allowed him to expand his activities in the real estate sector. He is also involved in money laundering and commercial activities in support of the Syrian regime and its associates.


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294.


Khodr Ali TAHER
(a.k.a. خضر علي طاه)


Gender: male
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


Leading businessperson operating across multiple sectors of the Syrian economy, including private security, mobile phone retail, hotel management, advertising services and domestic money transfer.
Supports and benefits from the 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.


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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


 


 




295.


Adel Anwar AL-OLABI
(a.k.a. Adel Anouar el-Oulabi, Adil Anwar al-Olabi; عادل أنور العلبي)


Gender: male
Date of birth: 1976
Nationality: Syrian
Position: Vice Chairman of Damascus Cham Holding Company (DCHC); Governor of Damascus


Leading businessperson benefiting from and supporting the regime. Vice Chairman of Damascus Cham Holding Company (DCHC), the investment arm of the Governorate of Damascus managing the properties of the Governorate of Damascus and implementing the Marota City project.
Adel Anwar Al-Olabi is also the Governor of Damascus, appointed by Bashar Al-Assad in November 2018. As Governor of Damascus and Vice Chair of DCHC, he is responsible for efforts to implement regime policies of developing expropriated land in Damascus (including Decree No. 66 and Law No. 10), most notably through the Marota City project.


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2.   
The following entities are added to the list set out in Section B (entities) of Annex I to Decision 2013/255/CFSP:









 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘77.


Al Qatarji Company
(a.k.a. Qatarji International Group; Al-Sham and Al-Darwish Company; Khatirji/Katarji/Katerji Group; مجموعة/شركة قاطرخي)


Type of entity: private company
Business sector: import/export; trucking; supply of oil and commodities
Name of Director/Management: Hussam AL-QATIRJI, CEO (EU-designated)
Ultimate beneficial owner: Hussam AL-QATIRJI (EU-designated)


Prominent company operating across multiple sectors of the Syrian economy. By facilitating fuel, arms and ammunition trade between the regime and various actors including ISIS (Daesh) 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 Hossam Qatarji, a member of the Syrian People’s Assembly – supports and benefits from the Syrian regime.


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Registered address: Mazzah, Damascus, Syria
Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links:
Arvada/Arfada Petroleum Company JSC


 


 




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, vice chairman of the Board of Directors and governor of Damascus (EU-designated)
Ultimate beneficial owner: Governorate of Damascus


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.


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Relatives/business associates/entities or partners/links:
Rami Makhlouf (EU-designated); Samer Foz (EU-designated); Mazen Tarazi (EU-designated);
Talas Group, owned by businessman Anas Talas (EU-designated); Exceed Development and Investment Company, owned by private investors Hayan Mohammad Nazem Qaddour, and Maen Rizk Allah Haykal (both EU-designated); Khaled Al-Zubaidi and Nader Qalei (both EU-designated)


By managing the implementation of Marota City, Damascus Cham Holding (whose Vice-Chair 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.