The U.S. Adds Yemeni Businessman Hamid al-Ahmar to Sanctions List for “Supporting Hamas” as Houthis Continue to Seize His Assets
Yemen Monitor/Washington/Special:
On Monday, the U.S. Treasury Department placed Yemeni parliamentarian and businessman Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar on its sanctions list for allegedly supporting the Islamic resistance movement “Hamas,” while the Houthis continue to seize his assets within Yemeni territory.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated three individuals and a sham charity as among the prominent international financial supporters of Hamas, along with one financial institution controlled by Hamas in Gaza.
The U.S. Treasury stated that it imposed sanctions on Hamid al-Ahmar, who resides in Turkey, as he is a prominent international supporter of Hamas. Al-Ahmar is also the president of the Al-Quds International Charity Foundation, which was designated by OFAC in October 2012.
The U.S. has sanctioned nine institutions belonging to Sheikh Hamid al-Ahmar, which include: Al-Ahmar Trading Group, based in Yemen; Al-Ahmar Oil Supply and Distribution, based in Yemen; Sama International Media, based in Yemen; Al-Salam Trading and General Agency, based in Yemen; Saba Trade and Investment S.R.O., based in the Czech Republic; SabaFon International S.A.L. (Offshore), based in Lebanon; Sabaturk Dis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, based in Turkey; Heya Energy Yatirimlari Anonim Sirketi, based in Turkey; and Investred Portfoy Yönetimi Anonim Sirketi, based in Turkey.
This comes as the Houthis continue to seize his companies in the capital, Sana’a, and other provinces of Yemen under the group’s control, taking over their profits and management.
