Case T-502/23: Judgment of the General Court of 7 May 2025 – Anwar Akkad v Council (Common foreign and security policy – Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Syria – Freezing of funds – Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States – Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned – Criterion of leading businessperson operating in Syria – Presumption of a link with the Syrian regime – Error of assessment – Obligation to state reasons – Rights of the defence – Right to a fair trial – Right to effective judicial protection – Proportionality – Right to property – Right to private life – Damage to reputation – New plea in law)
Date: 2025-05-07
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Syria, economic sanctions, entrepreneur, international sanctions, natural person, principle of proportionality, right to justice, right to property, rights of the defence








C_202503276EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/3276


24.6.2025






Judgment of the General Court of 7 May 2025 – Anwar Akkad v Council


(Case T-502/23)
                (1)

(Common foreign and security policy - Restrictive measures taken in view of the situation in Syria - Freezing of funds - Restrictions on admission to the territory of the Member States - Maintenance of the applicant’s name on the lists of persons, entities and bodies concerned - Criterion of ‘leading businessperson operating in Syria’ - Presumption of a link with the Syrian regime - Error of assessment - Obligation to state reasons - Rights of the defence - Right to a fair trial - Right to effective judicial protection - Proportionality - Right to property - Right to private life - Damage to reputation - New plea in law)
(C/2025/3276)
Language of the case: Bulgarian

Parties


Applicant: Hashem Anwar Akkad (Montreal, Canada) (represented by: S. Koev, lawyer)

Defendant: Council of the European Union (represented by: T. Haas and L. Hamtcheva, acting as Agents)

Re:

By his action based on Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment of Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/1035 of 25 May 2023 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2023 L 139, p. 49), Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1027 of 25 May 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ 2023 L 139, p. 1), Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/1510 of 27 May 2024 amending Decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ L 2024/1510), and Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1517 of 27 May 2024 implementing Regulation (EU) No 36/2012 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria (OJ L 2024/1517), in so far as those four acts maintain his name on the lists annexed to those acts.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the action;










2.


Orders Mr Hashem Anwar Akkad to pay the costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 338, 25.9.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3276/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)