US sanctions London-based Muslim Brotherhood member for ‘funding Hamas’
The move will heap pressure on the British government to take action against the Muslim Brotherhood, which is reported to be affiliated with Hamas
A London-based Muslim Brotherhood leader has been sanctioned over claims he allegedly he fundraised or Hamas.
Listen to this article
Mahmoud al-Abyari, a dual Egyptian-Austrian citizen, has been blocked from entering the country and has had his assets frozen, the US Treasury announced.
The move is expected to add pressure to the British government to take action against the Muslim Brotherhood, which is reported to be affiliated with Hamas.
“The Trump Administration will relentlessly pursue terrorists and those who finance them,” said US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.
“Whether operating under the guise of charities, businesses, or underground financial networks, those who enable Hamas will be exposed, sanctioned, and held accountable.”
Read more: Two Hamas operatives linked to vast funding network 'eliminated', IDF claims
Read more: New US tariff regime could see UK become less competitive, experts warn
Abyari, identified by the US as the Secretary-General of the Muslim Brotherhood General Secretariat, played an important role in raising and transferring money to Hamas, according to the US Treasury.
It accused Abyari, 73, of raising funds for sanctioned groups including two Turkish charities, Filistin Vakfi and Hayat Yolu, which are accused of transferring money to Hamas after the October 7 attacks on Israel.
Muslim Brotherhood is a Sunni organisation founded in the 1920s with the aim of establishing an international caliphate governed by islamic law.
The sanctioning of Abyari came alongside measures taken against other organisations accused of raising money for Hamas.
It comes after the US, under President Trump, announced sanctions on branches of the organisation in Lebanon, Jordan, Sudan and Egypt.
Hamas is regarded as an offshoot of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, after being established in 1987 as a political and militant arm of the group in Gaza.
The UK previously reviewed the Muslim Brotherhood in 2015 under David Cameron's premiership but chose not to proscribe the group.
Robin Simcox, the UK’s former counter-extremism commissioner, said he welcomed the sanctioning of Abyari and called on the government to take a "proactive approach" towards the group.
He told The Times that the UK could not rely on the US to take action against an issue that "first and foremost is one in our own backyard" and added he hoped the government would meet "the challenge the Brotherhood poses head on".