Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Counter-Terrorist Asset Freezing Regime

Baroness Morgan of Cotes Excerpts
Tuesday 10th June 2014

(9 years, 11 months ago)

Written Statements
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Baroness Morgan of Cotes Portrait The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Nicky Morgan)
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My noble Friend the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Deighton, has today made the following written ministerial statement:

Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (“TAFA 2010”, the Treasury is required to report to Parliament, quarterly, on its operation of the UK’s asset-freezing regime mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1373.

This is the 13th report under the Act and it covers the period from 1 January 2014 to 31 March 2014. This report also covers the UK implementation of the UN al-Qaeda asset-freezing regime and the operation of the EU asset-freezing regime in the UK under EU regulation (EC) 2580/2001 which implements UNSCR 1373 against external terrorist threats to the EU. Under the UN al-Qaeda asset-freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for designations and the Treasury has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under the Al-Qaeda (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011. Under EU regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and the Treasury has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under part 1 of TAFA 2010.

Annexes A and B to this statement provide a breakdown, by name, of all those designated by the UK and the EU in pursuance of UN Security Council Resolution 1373.

The following table sets out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during the quarter ending 31 March 2014:

TAFA 2010

EU Reg (EC) 2580/2001

Al-Qaeda regime UNSCR1989

Assets frozen (as at 31/03/2014)

£100,000

£11,0001

£58,0002

Number of accounts frozen in UK (at 31/03/14)

40

10

25

New accounts frozen (during Q1 2014)

19

0

0

Accounts unfrozen (during Q1 2014)

35

0

13

Number of designations (at 31/03/14)

29

374

279

(i) New designations (during Q1 2014)

3

0

0

(ii) Delistings (during Q1 2014)

12

1

5

(iii) Individuals in custody in UK (at 31/03/2014)

4

0

0

(iv) Individuals in UK, not in custody (at 31/03/2014)

1

0

3

(v) Individuals overseas (at 31/03/2014)

13

11

213

(vi) Groups

8 (0 in UK)

26 (1 in UK)

61

Individuals by nationality

(i) UK Nationals5

(ii) Non UK Nationals

7

14

n/a

n/a

Renewal of designation (during Q1 2014)

14

n/a

n/a

General Licences

(i) Issued in Q4

(ii) Amended

(iii) Revoked

(i) 0

(ii) 0

(iii) 0

Specific Licences:

(i) Issued in Q1

(ii) Amended

(iii) Revoked/Expired

7

0

14

0

0

0

2

0

0

1This does not duplicate funds frozen under TAFA.

2This figure reflects the most up-to-date account balances available and includes approximately $64,000 of funds frozen in the UK. This has been converted using exchange rates as of 31/03/2014.

3One unfrozen credit card in credit of £10.65.

4This figure is based on ex-designations where the UK freeze forms the prior competent authority decision for the EU freeze.

5Based on information held by the Treasury, some of these individuals hold dual nationality.



Legal Proceedings



1. An appeal against designations made under the Terrorism (United Nations Measures) Order 2009 and TAFA 2010 was ongoing in the quarter covered by this report, brought by Zana Abdul Rahim.

2. Two civil claims for damages relating to formerly designated persons are ongoing, one brought by Gulam Mastafa against a number of Government Departments including the Treasury, and another brought by an individual, “M”, against the Treasury.

3. In the quarter to 31 March 2014, no criminal proceedings were initiated in respect of breaches of asset-freezes made under TAFA 2010 or under the Al-Qaeda (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011, though we have worked closely with the police and CPS on a number of investigations that may result in prosecution.

Annex A—Designated persons under TAFA 2010 by name6

Individuals

1. Hamed Abdollahi

2. Bilal Talal Abdullah

3. Imad Khalil Al-Alami

4. Abdelkarim Hussein Al-Nasser

5. Ibrahim Salih Al-Yacoub

6. Manssor Arbabsiar

7. Moazzam Begg

8. Usama Hamdan

9. Nabeel Hussain

10. Hasan Izz-al-Din

11. Mohammed Khaled

12. Parviz Khan

13. Musa Abu Marzouk

14. Khalid Mishaal

15. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed

16. Sultan Muhammad

17. Abdul Reza Shahlai

18. Ali Gholam Shakuri

19. Qasem Soleimani

20. Gerrie Tahari

21. Mouloud Tahari

Entities

1. BASQUE FATHERLAND AND LIBERTY (ETA)

2. EJERCITO DE LIBERACION NACIONAL (ELN)

3. FUERZAS ARMADAS REVOLUCIONARIAS DE COLOMBIA (FARC)

4. HIZBALLAH MILITARY WING, INCLUDING EXTERNAL SECURITY ORGANISATION

5. HOLY LAND FOUNDATION FOR RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT

6. POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE—GENERAL COMMAND (PFLP-GC)

7. POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE (PFLP)

8. SENDERO LUMINOSO (SL)



6For full listing details please refer to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/current-list-of-designated-persons-terrorism-and-terrorist-financing.

Annex B—Persons designated by the EU under Council Regulation (EC)2580/20017

Persons

1. Hamed Abdollahi*

2. Abdelkarim Hussein Al-Nasser*

3. Ibrahim Salih Al Yacoub*

4. Manssor Arbabsiar*

5. Mohammed Bouyeri

6. Sofiane Yacine Fahas

7. Hasan Izz-Al-Din*

8. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed*

9. Abdul Reza Shahlai*

10. Ali Gholam Shakuri*

11. Qasem Soleimani*

Groups and Entities

1. Abu Nidal Organisation (ANO)

2. Al-Aqsa e.V.

2. Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade

4. Al-Takfir and Al-Hijra

5. Babbar Khalsa

6. Communist Party of the Philippines, including New People’s Army (NPA), Philippines

7. Devrimci Halk Kurtulu Partisi-Cephesi—DHKP/C (Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army/Front/Party)

8. Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army)*

9. Fuerzas armadas revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC)*

10. Gama’a al-lslamiyya (a.k.a. Al-Gama’a al-lslamiyya) (Islamic Group—IG)

11. Hamas, including Hamas-Izz al-Din al-Qassem

12.Hizballah Military Wing, including external security organisation

13. Hizbul Mujahideen (HM)

14. Hofstadgroep

15. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development*

16. International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)

17.Islami Büyük Dogu Akincilar Cephesi (IBDA-C) (Great Islamic Eastern Warriors Front)

18. Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF)

19. Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) (a.k.a. KONGRA-GEL)

20. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)

21. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)

22. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)—General Command (PFLP-GC)*

23. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine—(PFLP)*

23. Sendero Luminoso (SL) (Shining Path)*

24. Stichting Al Aqsa

25. Teyrbazen Azadiya Kurdistan (TAK)

7For full listing details please refer to: www.gov.uk.

*EU listing rests on UK designation under TAFA 2010.