The freezing of assets against Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of Bashar al-Assad, must be kept in place for the period 2016-2017, the General Court of the EU (EGC) ruled in a judgment returned on Thursday 18 May (case T-410/16).
Makhlouf has been on the Council of the EU list of persons subject to sanctions (ban on entering the EU, freezing of assets) due to their close ties to the Syrian regime since 2011 (see EUROPE 10375). He appealed to the EGC for his inclusion on the list to be cancelled for the period between 29 May 2016 and 31 May 2017.
According to the General Court, the Council did not breach the defence's rights or the right to a fair trial. It argues that there is nothing in the dossier indicating that Makhlouf no longer has any influence over the Syrian regime. On this point, the EGC finds that on the basis of documents supplied by the Council, it can be reasonably considered that Makhlouf maintains links with the leaders of the regime or economically supports it.
In response to Makhlouf's argument that he has withdrawn from the world of business, the EGC points out that the cousin of the Syrian President is still chair of the company Syriatel, the largest mobile telephone operator in Syria. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)