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By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 25 September 2014:
The European General Court, part of the Court of Justice of the European Union, has . . .[restrict]lifted financial and travel restrictions on Muammar Qaddafi’s cousin, Ahmed Qaddaf Al-Dam, dismissing arguments from the EU Council for keeping them as unsubstantiated, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the court.
“The General Court annuls the retention of Mr. Qaddaf Al-Dam, cousin of Muammar Qaddafi, on the list of persons subject to restrictive measures against Libya,” the statement said. “The Coucil has not justified the reasons for keeping his name on that list from 2013 to 2014.”
Sanctions were placed on Al-Dam and a number of other persons connected with the Qaddafi regime by the EU Council in February 2011. The restrictions included an assets freeze and a ban on entry into or travel through EU territory.
According to the EU General Court, Al-Dam was put on the EU sanctions list because he had commanded an elite army battalion in charge of Qaddafi’s personal security and because he had allegedly been involved in planning operations against Libyan dissidents abroad and was directly involved in terrorist activity.
Al-Dam’s name was kept on the list by the EU Council in April 2013 and in June 2014 under the same decision from February 2011, but the court has now determined that this substantiation is no longer valid, even though he “still represents a threat to restoring civil peace”. The court has taken the view that because the Qaddafi regime is no more, sanctions should not apply.
The decision can be appealed in the Court of Justice within the next two months. If such an appeal is filed, the ruling will not take effect until after the higher court has made a ruling. [/restrict]
