UN Security Council adds a French citizen to its sanctions list

CAIRO – 29 August 2017: The ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) added this week a new entry to its sanctions list. This action falls within the framework of the UNSC resolutions 1267, 1989, 2253 and 2368 that allow the committee to freeze assets, enforce travel ban and embargo arms of individual and entities linked to ISIL and Al-Qaida.

The added individual is a French terrorist fighter associated with Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and listed with Al-Qaida in Iraq. His name is Kevin Jordan Axel

Guiavarch

and was born in March 12, 1993. Guiavarch spent four years in Syria between 2012 and 2016 during which he visited Turkey. He is detained in France since January 2017, for participating in terrorist acts, facilitating foreign terrorist fighters travel from France to Syria and engagement in violent propaganda through the internet.

The ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List is updated regularly on the basis of relevant information provided by Member States and international and regional organizations.

The UNSC consolidated sanctions

list

includes all individuals and entities subject to sanctions measures, member states are obliged to implement the measures specific to each listed name as specified on the website of the sanctions committee. The sanctions list consists of two sections: individuals (currently there are 664 individuals on the list) and entities/groups (currently there are 382 entities).

The sanctions committee presents summaries of reasons for listing, where available. Members States are strongly encouraged, wherever possible, to submit to the concerned Committee, through their Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York, any relevant information not currently included on the Sanctions Lists.

Earlier in August, the UN Office for Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) published a

report

stating that the flow of terrorist fighters to Syria, especially from Western countries has increased since early 2016. The report also highlighted that empathy is the most common reason for foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) travelling to Syria.