US removes North Macedonian Albanian Abu Qatada al-Albani from sanctions list

Abdul Samrez Jashari, who is from North Macedonia and is known as Abu Qatada al-Albani, no longer appears on the US list of sanctioned individuals.

His removal was made public through the latest updates from the US Department of the Treasury, which announced changes to the sanctions list on 24.08.2026.

Abu Qatada al-Albani leads “Xhemati Albani,” a militant formation consisting mainly of ethnic Albanians. According to a Radio Free Europe report dated January 8, 2025, the group had formed an alliance with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist organization designated as terrorist by the United States and the European Union, which overthrew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

Jashari was added to the US sanctions list in 2016. At the time, the Treasury Department described him as a military adviser and one of the leaders of Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria.

US authorities had also accused him of helping secure funds for the families of Nusra fighters.

Among those removed from the US list following the 24.08.2026 update is Abu Qatada al-Albani. Other individuals linked to conflicts in Syria and Iraq have also been granted the same status.

The US Treasury announcement says that, as part of President Donald Trump’s commitment to easing sanctions on Syria, the US Department of State has revoked Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The US announced in July 2025 that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), also known as the Al-Nusra Front, would no longer be considered a terrorist organization. HTS had previously been linked to Al-Qaeda, which is a terrorist organization, while in December it overthrew the Syrian government.