In accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 1822 (2008) and subsequent related resolutions, the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee makes accessible a narrative summary of reasons for the listing for individuals, groups, undertakings and entities included in the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List.
Adel ben al-Azhar ben Youssef Hamdi was listed on 3 September 2002 pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 of resolution 1390 (2002) as being associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of”, “supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to” or “otherwise supporting acts or activities of” Al-Qaida (QDe.004) and the Organization of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (QDe.014).
Adel ben al-Azhar ben Youssef Hamdi has been a member of the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), listed as the Organization of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (QDe.014). He was active in a GSPC cell that sent militants to training camps organized by Al-Qaida (QDe.004) in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Hamdi was arrested on 3 April 2001 in Italy for criminal conspiracy to traffic arms, explosives and chemical weapons; for receiving stolen goods; for making and using false documents; and for facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants into Italy. Hamdi was involved in and arrested for the preparation of an attack against the United States Embassy in Rome, and for contact with other terrorist groups.
On 17 May 2002, in the framework of a proceeding for criminal conspiracy to store and traffic weapons and/or explosive materials, handling stolen goods, use of Italian and foreign forged identity documents and facilitating illegal immigration to Italy, the Milan Criminal Court sentenced Hamdi to four years and six months imprisonment followed by deportation. The Milan Court of Appeal reduced the punishment by one year and made this the final judgment on 23 April 2003.
On 28 February 2004, Hamdi was deported to Tunisia. He was convicted in Tunisia for belonging to a foreign terrorist organization and was serving a 12-year prison term as at January 2010. He legally changed his family name from Ben Soltane to Hamdi in 2014.