UK corrects Al-Qaida sanctions listing for French militant Peter Cherif
The UK has corrected its sanctions listing for Peter Cherif, a French national linked to Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, while maintaining existing asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo restrictions.
LONDON, Oct. 29, 2026 — The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced an administrative correction to the UK Sanctions List concerning Peter Cherif, also known as Abou Hamza, under the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions regime.
Cherif, born in Paris on Aug. 26, 1982, has been subject to United Nations sanctions since Sept. 29, 2015. He is identified as a member of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), an affiliate of the terrorist organization operating primarily in Yemen.
According to the updated listing, Cherif was convicted in absentia and sentenced to five years in prison in France in 2012. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment by a French court on Oct. 3, 2024, for his involvement in a terrorist organization.
The Oct. 29 notice updates the administrative record following an earlier revision dated Oct. 27. The correction does not constitute a new designation or introduce additional restrictive measures.
Cherif remains subject to an asset freeze, arms embargo and travel ban under the UK's implementation of UN sanctions. His designation is recorded under UK reference AQD0286, UN reference QDi.376 and Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) group ID 13290.
Under the existing restrictions, individuals and businesses subject to UK sanctions jurisdiction must continue to freeze any funds or economic resources belonging to Cherif and must not make assets available to him, directly or indirectly, unless authorized by an applicable exception or OFSI licence.
The correction maintains the existing sanctions obligations and does not change Cherif's designated status.
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