In the quiet village of Držkov near Teplice, a large villa stands out. The estate includes a swimming pool, underground garages, and a full-time gardener.

The property belongs to Hamid Abdullah Hussein al Ahmar, a Yemeni national who, according to U.S. intelligence agencies, is a major financial backer of the terrorist organization Hamas.

Last October, the U.S. Treasury added Al Ahmar to its sanctions list. His Czech connections include not just the luxury villa but also a registered company in Prague.

According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Al Ahmar is considered one of Hamas’s primary financiers in Europe. The office described him as “a key member of Hamas’s formerly secret investment network,” which once controlled assets exceeding $500 million—a fund that helped Hamas leaders live in comfort well beyond the borders of Gaza.

The Americans allege that since at least 2013, Al Ahmar has been associated with a sham charity known as the Al-Quds International Foundation, which the U.S. classified in 2012 as a Hamas-controlled entity.

Washington’s decision to impose sanctions on Al Ahmar was based on findings that he “provided financial, material, or technological support to Hamas.” Several of his companies—spanning Yemen, Turkey, and Lebanon—have also been sanctioned. One of them, unexpectedly, is located in Czechia.

The firm, Saba, Trade & Investment, s.r.o., is registered at a residential address in Prague-Kyje. Officially, it’s controlled by Al Ahmar’s legal representative, Abdulbasset Shugaa, who owns a 5% stake acquired for a token sum of 50 CZK. The remaining 95% belongs to Al Ahmar. The company was founded in 2014 with a base capital of just 1,000 CZK.

However, the company’s activity is unclear. It has not filed any financial statements or mandatory annual reports since its inception—a legal obligation under Czech law. Only the original founding documents have ever been submitted to the business registry.

“He didn’t come around much—maybe a few times a year,” said one local resident. “Sometimes, it was just relatives who showed up.”

Even the mayor of Modlany, the municipality overseeing Držkov, was taken aback upon learning who the property’s owner is—and that he appears on the U.S. sanctions list.

“He stayed here very rarely,” said Mayor Lukáš Dan Bartoň. “I only ever communicated with his lawyer or property manager.”

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