Basil Hassan is a Lebanese citizen and senior member of ISIS. He was designated by the U.S. Department of State in late November 2016, and was described as an “external operations plotter” for the terror group.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm;
“Counter Terrorism Designations; Kingpin Act Designations Updates,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 22, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20161122.aspx;
Burcu Purtul Ucar, “Danish writer’s shooting suspect released in Turkey before ISIL prisoner swap,” Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), October 24, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/danish-writers-shooting-suspect-released-in-turkey-before-isil-prisoner-swap.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73414&NewsCatID=510;
“Denmark shooting: Gunman targets Islam critic Hedegaard,” BBC News, February 5, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21341878.
Hassan is suspected of having shot Danish author and critic of Islam Lars Hedegaard in his Copenhagen home on February 5, 2013.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm;
“Counter Terrorism Designations; Kingpin Act Designations Updates,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 22, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20161122.aspx;
Burcu Purtul Ucar, “Danish writer’s shooting suspect released in Turkey before ISIL prisoner swap,” Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), October 24, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/danish-writers-shooting-suspect-released-in-turkey-before-isil-prisoner-swap.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73414&NewsCatID=510;
“Denmark shooting: Gunman targets Islam critic Hedegaard,” BBC News, Febuary 5, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-21341878. Hassan reportedly fled Denmark that same day, and spent time in Syria before he was arrested in Turkey in April 2014.Burcu Purtul Ucar, “Danish writer’s shooting suspect released in Turkey before ISIL prisoner swap,” Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), October 24, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/danish-writers-shooting-suspect-released-in-turkey-before-isil-prisoner-swap.aspx?pageID=238&nID=73414&NewsCatID=510. According to the U.S. Department of State, Hassan was handed to ISIS as part of an exchange for Turkish hostages in September 2014.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm. The following month, however, Istanbul’s Hurriyet Daily News reported that Hassan had been acquitted and released in July 2014.“Denmark reports Turkey row to EU over shooting suspect’s release,” Hurriyet Daily News (Istanbul), November 26, 2014, http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/denmark-conveys-turkey-row-over-shooting-suspects-release-to-eu.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74870&NewsCatID=351. He is believed to operate out of Syria.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm.
United States
November 22, 2016
The United States designated Basil Hassan as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.“State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich,” U.S. Department of State, November 22, 2016, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2016/11/264498.htm;
“Counter Terrorism Designations; Kingpin Act Designations Updates,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, November 22, 2016, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20161122.aspx.
