The European Court of Justice rejects the appeals of Makhlouf's heirs to lift the sanctions
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has rejected appeals filed by Ghada Adib Muhanna, the widow of Mohamed Makhlouf, and Kinda Makhlouf, his daughter, against their inclusion on the expanded European sanctions lists.
The decision issued on Saturday, May 9, 2026, was based on a gradual timeline of the file: on April 24, 2026, the personal data of "Ghada Adib Muhanna" was last updated and reviewed two weeks before the final verdict was issued.
On legal grounds, the court upheld a previous ruling issued by the European General Court in July 2024, which ruled that the lawfulness of the automatic inclusion of members of the Assad and Makhlouf families on the sanctions lists.
The court stressed that the burden of proof is on the members of these families to prove that they have lost their connection with the ruling system or to deny any risk of using their wealth to support the regime or circumvent sanctions, as Ghada Adib Muhanna and Kinda Makhlouf failed to provide material evidence proving their financial or geographical independence from the family's economic activities.
Final closure of the appeals file in the case of Makhlouf's heirs
The European lists expanded in February 2022 to include the heirs of Mohamed Makhlouf (his two wives and three daughters: Shahla, Kinda, and Sarah) following his death in September 2020, with the aim of preventing the transfer of the huge financial empire he was running to the heirs and using it as an international financial cover.
In September 2025, the other wife, Hala Al-Maghut, succeeded in extracting a decision to remove her name from the blacklists after submitting legal proofs, which Ghada and Kinda failed to do again.
With this decision, the court closes the door to any new appeals, confirming that the European sanctions on the Makhlouf family have become final and binding, reflecting the hardening of the European position towards the financial networks linked to the Syrian regime.
Direct consequences of European governance
The decision issued in Luxembourg confirmed the continuation of the comprehensive freeze on assets, including bank accounts, real estate and investments within the EU, so that the ban remains absolute without any exceptions, and the provision on the travel and transit ban, so that the ban on entry or transit into the territory of EU countries remains in force and in effect.
The most severe impact is the criminal prosecution of dealers, as any European citizen or entity is prohibited from providing financial facilities or economic resources to those subject to sanctions, under the penalty of international criminal responsibility, which places any attempt to circumvent the decision in the circle of direct prosecution.
This new development confirms that the ruling is not limited to fixing penalties, but also establishes a strict legal system that makes dealing with listed names a major legal risk.