In accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 1822 (2008) and subsequent related resolutions, the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee makes accessible a narrative summary of reasons for the listing for individuals, groups, undertakings and entities included in the Al-Qaida Sanctions List.
Amru al-Absi was listed on 29 September 2015 pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 4 of resolution 2161 (2014) as being associated with Al-Qaida for “participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of” Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), listed as Al-Qaida in Iraq (QDe.115).
In mid-2014, Amru al-Absi was selected as ISIL’s provincial leader for Homs, Syrian Arab Republic and was previously appointed as the Governor of Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic by ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, listed as Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai (QDi.299). Absi oversees all ISIL operations within the province and was in charge of kidnappings and has been dubbed the ISIL “kidnapper-in-chief.” Absi is a member of ISIL’s ruling shura council and in charge of ISIL’s media arm. The shura council is responsible for passing down orders from ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. ISIL’s first branch in Syrian Arab Republic was Absi’s group, and Absi was one of the first figures to meet al-Baghdadi and pledge allegiance to ISIL.