EU updates ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list for 21 entries

The European Commission has adopted Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1965, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 27 August 2026, amending for the 360th time Council Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 imposing restrictive measures against persons and entities associated with the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida organisations. The amendment updates the identifying data for 21 entries in Annex I following a decision of the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council taken on 18 August 2026 under Resolutions 1267(1999), 1989(2011) and 2253(2015).

The regulation, done at Brussels on 26 August 2026, enters into force the day after its publication and is binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. It directly affects the asset freezes and travel bans that apply across the Union to the listed individuals and groups.

Updated natural persons

Thirteen entries under the heading “Natural persons” were revised, mostly to refine aliases, dates and places of birth, and to record deaths or custody status. Among the most significant updates:

Nurjaman Riduan Isamuddin (alias Hambali), senior leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, with an additional date of birth and place of birth recorded.
Salim Y Salamuddin Julkipli, now identified as a member of the Abu Sayyaf Group.
Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and former ISIL affiliate leader, recorded as killed in Marawi City, Philippines, on 15 October 2017.
Umar Patek, senior member of Jemaah Islamiyah convicted for the 2002 Bali bombings, with updated custody and parole information.
Peter Cherif, member of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), sentenced to life imprisonment by a French court on 3 October 2024.
Ibrahim Hassan Tali Al-Asiri, principal bomb maker of AQAP, recorded as reportedly deceased in 2017.

Updated entities

Eight entries under the heading “Legal persons, groups and entities” were also amended, including:

Wafa Humanitarian Organisation, now recorded as a component of Al-Qaida in 2001.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), with expanded information on its formation in January 2009 and its leader Sa’ad bin Atef al-Awlaki.
Islamic Jihad Group, whose founders are now recorded as reportedly deceased and whose activities are funded and coordinated by Al-Qaida.
Mouvement pour l’Unification et le Jihad en Afrique de l’Ouest (MUJAO), associated with Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Al Mourabitoun and Mokhtar Belmokhtar.
Al-Haramain Foundation (Pakistan), recorded as inactive with no structures in Pakistan as of late 2025.

What the update means

The 360th amendment keeps the EU’s sanctions list aligned with the UN Security Council’s consolidated list, ensuring that asset freezes and travel bans remain accurate and enforceable across all Member States. The revised identifying data — including new aliases, passport numbers, addresses and death records — strengthens the practical application of the restrictive measures and helps national authorities and financial institutions identify listed persons and entities.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, L series, 27.8.2026 (official reference: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1965, ELI http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1965/oj).