EU Removes Three Individuals from ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions List

The European Union has removed three individuals from its sanctions list targeting persons associated with ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida, following corresponding delisting decisions by the United Nations Security Council. The measure was implemented through Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2490 of 3 November 2026, which amends Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 for the 364th time.

The individuals removed from the list are Shafi Sultan Mohammed Sultan Al-Ajmi, Bassam Ahmad Al-Hasri and Iyad Nazmi Salih Khalil. All three had previously been designated for their alleged involvement with Al-Nusrah Front, an organisation associated with Al-Qaida.

Al-Ajmi, a Kuwaiti national, was originally listed in September 2014. The designation identified him as a fundraiser for Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant. Al-Hasri, who holds Syrian and Palestinian nationality, was listed in 2017 and identified as a leader of Al-Nusrah Front in southern Syria. Khalil, a Jordanian national, was also designated in 2017, with the listing describing him as a leader of the organisation in coastal Syria.

The removals follow decisions taken by the United Nations Security Council's ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee on 24 October 2026. The Committee approved the delisting requests submitted by the relevant designating State, resulting in the removal of all three names from the UN sanctions list established under resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015).

The UN delisting means that the asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo applicable under the relevant Security Council measures no longer apply to these individuals. The European Commission subsequently amended the EU list to reflect the United Nations decisions. The three individuals had also been removed from the corresponding UK sanctions list during October 2026.

The EU measures are implemented through Regulation (EC) No 881/2002, which gives effect within the European Union to the UN sanctions regime targeting ISIL, Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities. The regulation requires EU Member States and persons subject to EU jurisdiction to freeze funds and economic resources belonging to designated persons and entities, and prohibits making funds or economic resources available to them, directly or indirectly, unless an applicable authorisation or exemption permits it.

The latest amendment illustrates the continuing process through which UN sanctions decisions are incorporated into EU law. Although the original designation may remain in force for an extended period, individuals can seek delisting through the relevant UN procedures. Once the Sanctions Committee approves a request, the corresponding changes must be reflected in the implementing legislation of jurisdictions applying the UN measures.

The removal of the three individuals from Regulation 881/2002 should be understood within the scope of that particular sanctions regime. The EU also maintains a separate autonomous restrictive-measures framework targeting ISIL, Al-Qaida and associated persons, groups and entities under Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/1693. That regime is complementary to the UN framework and operates independently. The EU Council renewed its autonomous measures on 26 October 2026 for a further year, until 31 October 2027.

For financial institutions, payment service providers and other businesses subject to EU sanctions requirements, the amendment highlights the importance of maintaining accurate and regularly updated screening systems. Where a person is removed from a sanctions list, screening databases and internal records should be updated to reflect the change and avoid continuing to apply restrictions solely on the basis of an outdated designation.

However, delisting from one sanctions regime does not necessarily establish that an individual is free from every other restrictive measure or legal restriction. Compliance teams should verify the relevant list, legal instrument and effective date, and check whether any separate national, EU or international designation remains applicable before changing the treatment of an existing customer or transaction.

Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2490 enters into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and is directly applicable in all EU Member States.

By fLEXI tEAM