10/07/2025 (Agence Europe) – The General Court of the European Union has annulled the EU sanctions against Hala Almaghout, one of the widows of Mohammed Makhlouf, a Syrian businessman and uncle of former Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, in a judgment handed down on Wednesday 9 July (case T-437/23). After Mr Makhlouf’s death, the complainant’s name was added to the lists of people sanctioned by the EU for their role in the Syrian population’s violent repression. According to the General Court, the EU Council committed an error of assessment in this case. Ms Almaghout has provided sufficiently concrete, precise and consistent evidence that her link with the Syrian regime has disappeared and that she does not pose any real risk of circumvention of the EU’s restrictive measures. The acts (Council Decisions (CFSP) 2023/1035 and 2024/1510 and Implementing Regulations 2023/1027 and 2024/1517) are hereby annulled. See the General Court’s judgment: https://aeur.eu/f/hta (MB)