Sanctions placed on widows and daughters of Assad's uncle Mohammad Makhlouf

The family were involved in moving millions from Syria into luxury properties in Russia

The EU has added more relations of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad to its sanctions list. EPA

The two widows and three daughters of late Syrian businessman Mohammad Makhlouf, uncle of President Bashar Al Assad and father of telecoms tycoon Rami Makhlouf, have been added to the EU sanctions list.

Mohammad Makhlouf had been on the sanctions list from 2013 until his death from Covid-19 in 2020.

The Makhlouf family are considered to be Syria’s richest and second-most important family, after the Assads. Before the civil war that began in 2011, they controlled 60 per cent of the Syrian economy.

Now almost all family members have had sanctions imposed against them by the EU and US for their roles in the Assad regime's campaign of violence against opponents.

Mohammad Makhlouf's sons, Rami, Ihab and Iyad, had previously been added to the list.

This week his two widows, Hala Tarif Almaghout and Ghada Adib Mhanna, and his three daughters, Shalaa Mohammad Makhlouf, Kinda Mohammad Makhlouf and Sara Mohammad Makhlouf, were also placed on the sanctions list.

It has previously been revealed that the family were involved in purchasing $40 million of luxury properties in Russia.

Mohammad Makhlouf was an influential businessman with interests in multiple sectors of Syria's economy.

The sanctions list said he had "significant influence in the General Organisation of Tobacco and the oil and gas, arms and banking sectors and was involved in business dealings for the Syrian regime in arms procurement and banking".

"Given the extent of his business and political ties to the Syrian regime, he provides support to and benefits from the regime," it said.

Mohammad Makhlouf's rise to the top of the business hierarchy and decision-making in Syria started after Hafez Al Assad took power in a 1970 coup and appointed him to run the oil sector and the country's nationalised banks.

He became the manager of the inner circle's finances.

Mohammad Makhlouf put his son Rami in charge of his business empire after Bashar Al Assad inherited the presidency in 2000 and the regime awarded the Makhloufs more monopolies — such as telecommunications and real estate.

His extended family have been added to the sanctions list following his death.

Syrian opposition media said Mohammad Makhlouf died in Syria, although he had reportedly moved to Moscow several years before.

An investigation by anti-corruption group Global Witness revealed the purchase of property in two Moscow skyscrapers by the family as it has sought to move Syrian regime money beyond the reach of western sanctions.

The properties were bought in the upmarket Moscow City district by members of Mr Al Assad's inner circle, including the Makhlouf family and Mr Al Assad's cousins.

Many of the properties, worth $22.3m, were purchased by Hafez Makhlouf, one of Mr Al Assad's first cousins who has had sanctions imposed on him over allegations that he oversaw the torture and murder of anti-regime protesters.

The report by Global Witness said that loan deals against 11 of the properties were with offshore Lebanese companies.

Five other Makhlouf family members — including the wife of Rami Makhlouf — also purchased property there, between December 2013 and June 2019.