A former official of an Oregon-based charity was removed from the United Nations al-Qaida sanctions list on Feb. 10, 2013. The de-listing of Soliman H. Al-Buthi, a former director of Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation of Oregon (AHIF Oregon), from the UN list means he is no longer subject to the UN imposed assets freeze and travel ban.  His attorney says he is working to remove his client’s name from a similar list maintained by the U.S. Treasury Department, which also includes AHIF Oregon.   The UN provided no explanation for his removal, but said in a statement that the decision was made following a review of the “delisting request submitted to the Ombudsperson established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1904.” Al-Buthi had been on the UN list since 2004.

See also: De/Listed: U.S. Lacks Review Process for Terror Designations

In a press release issued a day after the de-listing, al-Buthi’s attorney, Thomas Nelson, said:

  • “Mr. al-Buthi’s delisting raises questions about the legitimacy of his continued listing by the Treasury Department, and of the Treasury Department’s listing of the Al Haramain Islamic Foundation of Oregon.”

In September 2011, an appellate court upheld a lower court’s ruling finding that Treasury violated AHIF of Oregon’s Fifth Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights when shut it down in February 2004. Treasury cited al Buthi’s presence on the charity’s board as a reason for listing it on its sanctions list.  See the Al Haramain case summary here.

A Treasury spokesman did not respond to questions about al-Buthi’s removal from its list, according to the Associated Press.

Kimberly Prost, ombudsperson for the UN’s al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, said al-Buthi was the 21st applicant to be taken off the sanctions list, but said details surrounding the case were not public.   UN Security Council Resolution 1904, which created the ombudsperson position, requires periodic reviews of the list to remove deceased persons and others who should no longer be on it.