EU revises sanctions entries for El Motassadeq, Pakistani Taliban

BRUSSELS, Oct. 22, 2026 – The European Commission has adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2384, amending identifying information for three existing entries under its sanctions regime targeting individuals and entities associated with ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida.

The regulation, adopted Oct. 21 and published in the EU's Official Journal the following day, implements amendments approved by the United Nations Security Council's ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee on Oct. 15. It represents the 363rd amendment to Council Regulation (EC) No. 881/2002, which provides for the freezing of funds and economic resources belonging to designated individuals and entities.

The amendments concern Mounir El Motassadeq, a Moroccan national previously imprisoned in Germany; another individual whose identifying information has been revised; and Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban. The changes update identifying particulars and associated information rather than introducing new sanctions designations.

For TTP, the regulation replaces an outdated reference identifying Maulana Fazlullah as the organisation's leader with Noor Wali Mehsud. It also retains alternative names used by the organisation, including Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan, Tehrik-e-Taliban and Pakistani Taliban, providing additional information for sanctions screening and identification purposes.

The amendments follow the UN committee's decision to revise three existing sanctions entries on Oct. 15. Individuals and entities covered by the regime remain subject to restrictive measures, including asset freezes, while the underlying UN sanctions framework also provides for travel bans and arms embargoes.

The regulation enters into force on Oct. 23, 2026, and is directly applicable across all EU member states. Financial institutions and other obliged entities will need to incorporate the revised identifying information into their sanctions screening systems to ensure existing designations are accurately matched.

The measures do not represent an expansion of the EU's counterterrorism sanctions list but form part of the continuing alignment of EU restrictive measures with changes adopted by the United Nations Security Council.