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3/19/2020

Treasury Designates Martyrs Foundation Companies and Officials as Global Terrorists | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Treasury Designates Martyrs Foundation Companies and
Officials as Global Terrorists
February 26, 2020

Washington – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s O ice of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
today designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) three Lebanon-based
o icials and 12 Lebanon-based entities linked to the Martyrs Foundation, part of Hizballah’s
support network. Specifically, OFAC designated Atlas Holding for being owned or controlled by
the Martyrs Foundation, as well as senior Atlas o icial Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi, and ten
Atlas-a iliated companies. Jawad Nur-al-Din and Sheikh Yusuf Aasi were also designated,
pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, for being leaders or o icials of the
Lebanon-based Martyrs Foundation, which was designated for supporting terrorism in July
2007. Mirath S.A.L., which is owned or controlled by Jawad Nur-al-Din, was also designated
today.
“Hizballah profits from the sale of goods vital to the Lebanese peoples’ health and economy,
such as pharmaceuticals and gasoline,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “The Trump
Administration stands with the Lebanese people, and we are committed to exposing and
holding accountable Hizballah’s terror-funding business schemes.”
Hizballah put the Lebanese banking sector at risk through its deep coordination with Jammal
Trust Bank, which was designated as an SDGT in August 2019. Atlas Holding — a company
controlled by the Martyrs Foundation and subordinate to Hizballah’s Executive Council — along
with several of its subsidiaries banked freely at Jammal Trust Bank despite their open a iliation
with previously designated Hizballah entities. In fact, Jammal Trust Bank facilitated hundreds of
millions of dollars in transactions through the Lebanese financial system on behalf of Atlas
Holding and its subsidiaries, and aided Hizballah o icials in evading scrutiny on these accounts
from Lebanese banking authorities.
Hizballah was designated by the Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in
October 1997 and as an SDGT pursuant to E.O. 13224 in October 2001. As noted in previous
Treasury actions, the Lebanon o ice of the Martyrs Foundation acts as an Iranian parastatal
organization and is an integral element of Hizballah’s global terror support network. It provides
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Treasury Designates Martyrs Foundation Companies and Officials as Global Terrorists | U.S. Department of the Treasury

services such as financial support to the families of killed or imprisoned Hizballah members, as
well as to families of suicide bombers from HAMAS and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

ATLAS HOLDING
Atlas Holding is owned or controlled by the Martyrs Foundation.
Atlas Holding owns or controls at least ten companies in numerous sectors in Lebanon,
including fuel, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and clothing. According to corporate registration
information, the Martyrs Foundation and its senior o icial Sheikh Yusuf Aasi are listed as
founders of Atlas Holding. As of late 2017, Atlas was among several entities identified as being
subordinate to Hizballah’s Executive Council, which takes advantage of its entities’ legitimate
and civilian appearance to conceal money transfers for Hizballah’s military use. Although the
funding from these Executive Council companies went into Hizballah’s co ers and military
activities, Hizballah hoped that the seemingly legitimate business funds could protect Hizballah
from sanctions.

KASSEM MOHAMAD ALI BAZZI
Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi is a leader or o icial of Atlas Holding.
Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi serves as the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Atlas Holding as of
2019, and is the company’s largest shareholder. Additionally, according to corporate registration
information, he serves as an o icial for several of Atlas Holding subsidiaries, including Amana,
Amana Plus, Medic, Shahed Pharm, City Pharma, al Kawthar, and Global Touristic Services.

JAWAD NUR-AL-DIN
Jawad Nur-al-Din is a leader and o icial of the Martyrs Foundation.
Jawad Nur-al-Din serves as the Director General of the Lebanon-based Martyrs Foundation. In
this capacity, he oversees payments to the families of Hizballah fighters who have been killed,
and has coordinated these payments with senior Hizballah o icials such as SDGT Hashim Safi
al-Din. As a senior o icial of the Lebanon-based Martyrs Foundation, he works closely with
senior Hizballah o icials and publicly represents the Martyrs Foundation alongside senior
Hizballah o icials including Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Hashim Safi al-Din was
designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 in May 2017. Hassan Nasrallah was designated pursuant to

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Treasury Designates Martyrs Foundation Companies and Officials as Global Terrorists | U.S. Department of the Treasury

E.O. 12947 in January 1995, pursuant to E.O. 13582 in September 2012, and pursuant to E.O.
13224 in 2018.

SHEIKH YUSUF AASI
Sheikh Yusuf Aasi is a leader or o icial of the Martyrs Foundation.
In his role with the Martyrs Foundation, Sheikh Yusuf Aasi has publicly advocated for the
foundation in light of U.S. sanctions against Hizballah and the rising number of Hizballah
operatives killed in Syria. Additionally, Sheikh Yusuf Aasi is one of the founders of Atlas Holding,
which is being designated today for being owned or controlled by the Martyrs Foundation.

MEDICAL EQUIPMENT & DRUGS INTERNATIONAL
CORPORATION (MEDIC)
Medic is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. According to corporate registration information,
founders of Medic include both Atlas and Bazzi. Atlas is the majority shareholder for the
company, and Bazzi, who holds fewer shares, serves as the Director General, Chairman, and
authorized signatory for the company.

SHAHED PHARM
Shahed Pharm is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. According to corporate registration
information, senior Martyrs Foundation o icial Jawad Nur-al-Din is listed as one of its founders,
along with Atlas Holding, and Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi is listed as a shareholder, director, and
authorized signatory for the company.

AMANA FUEL CO.
Amana Fuel Co. is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. According to corporate registration
information, Atlas Holding controls the majority of shares in the company, and Kassem
Mohamad Ali Bazzi is listed as a founder, director, and authorized signatory for the company.

AMANA PLUS CO.
Amana Plus Co. is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. According to corporate registration
information, Atlas Holding is a founder of, and the largest shareholder for, Amana Plus Co.

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Jawad Nur-al-Din and Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi are also listed as company founders, with
Bazzi also serving as the Director General, Chairman, and authorized signatory of the company.

AL KAWTHAR
Al Kawthar is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. Also of note, corporate registration
information lists Atlas Holding and Martyrs Foundation CEO Jawad Nur-al-Din as founder of Al
Kawthar, and Atlas is a majority shareholder in the company.

AMANA SANITARY AND PAINTS COMPANY L.T.D.
Amana Sanitary and Paints Company L.T.D. is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. According
to corporate registration information, Atlas and Jawad Nur-al-Din are both founders of the
company, with the majority of the company’s stock being allocated to Atlas.

CITY PHARMA S.A.R.L.
City Pharma S.A.R.L. is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. According to corporate registration
information, Atlas is a founder of the company along with Jawad Nur-al-Din, and Kassem
Mohamad Ali Bazzi was the authorized signatory for the company.

GLOBAL TOURISTIC SERVICES S.A.L.
Global Touristic Services S.A.L. is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding. According to corporate
registration information, the company was founded by Atlas, Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi, and
Jawad Nur-al-Din. Additionally, Atlas is the majority shareholder in the company, Kassem
Mohamad Ali Bazzi is the authorized signatory, and Jawad Nur-al-Din and Kassem Mohamad Ali
Bazzi are members of the board of directors.

MIRATH S.A.L.
Mirath is owned or controlled by Jawad Nur-al-Din. According to corporate registration
information, Jawad Nur-al-Din is the chairman of the board, majority shareholder, as well as a
founder of, and authorized signatory for, Mirath S.A.L.

SANOVERA PHARM COMPANY SARL
Sanovera Pharm Company SARL is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding.
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Treasury Designates Martyrs Foundation Companies and Officials as Global Terrorists | U.S. Department of the Treasury

CAPITAL S.A.L.
Capital S.A.L. is owned or controlled by Atlas Holding.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
The Treasury Department continues to prioritize disrupting the full range of Hizballah’s illicit
financial activity, including its financial support network.
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of these targets that are in the
United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to
OFAC. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within the United
States (including transactions transiting the United States) that involve any property or interests
in property of blocked or designated persons. In addition, persons that engage in certain
transactions with the individuals and entities designated today may themselves be exposed to
sanctions or subject to an enforcement action.
Furthermore, the individuals and entities designated today are subject to secondary sanctions
pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended. Pursuant to this authority, OFAC can prohibit or impose
strict conditions on the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account
or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution.
Read identifying information related to today’s action here.
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