The State Department this week released a report to Congress of people in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua who may be engaging in corruption or undermining democratic processes. The individuals, who include senior government officials, will be subject to visa restrictions and could face other sanctions.
The State Department designated two Belarusian government officials for their “significant role” in the country’s 2020 disputed presidential election and human rights violations, the agency said this week. The designations target Mikalai Karpiankou, deputy minister of internal affairs and a military commander, and Dzmitriy Balaba, commander of the Special Task Police Force of the Minsk City Executive Committee of Internal Affairs. The State Department also imposed visa restrictions on 100 Belarusian “regime officials” for “impeding the transition to democracy in Belarus.”
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Aug. 8 sanctioned Tornado Cash, a virtual currency mixer that the agency said has been used to launder more than $7 billion worth of virtual currency since it was created in 2019. OFAC said the mixer has been used to launder money stolen by North Korea’s Lazarus Group and other criminal groups. Tornado cash operates on the “Ethereum blockchain” and “indiscriminately facilitates anonymous transactions by obfuscating their origin, destination, and counterparties, with no attempt to determine their origin,” OFAC said.
New Zealand this month issued a new set of sanctions against Russia’s military and weapons manufacturers, including designations targeting various branches and independent arms of the country’s armed forces. The sanctions also target defense entities responsible for providing logistical support and weapons to Russia’s military as well as the Russian insurance company SOGAZ, Russian Railways and defense entities that research, produce and test military hardware.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week published three previously issued general licenses in the Federal Register related to Syria, Iran and Venezuela (see 2206100030). The licenses, which expire June 17, 2023, authorize certain transactions related to goods and services for preventing, diagnosing or combating COVID-19.
The EU last week sanctioned two additional people associated with Russia’s war in Ukraine. The designations target Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych, a Russia supporter and former president of Ukraine, and Oleksandr Viktorovych Yanukovych, his son.
Switzerland banned buying, importing or transporting gold and gold products from Russia, it announced in an Aug. 3 sanctions move. The Swiss Federal Council also imposed an asset freeze on Sberbank and carved out two new exceptions from the sanctions regime over agricultural products and oil supplies to third countries. Previously, Switzerland added 54 individuals and nine entities to its Russia sanctions list on July 28. With this week's decision, Switzerland said it's now in line with the EU's sanctions regime.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, urged the Biden administration this week to back away from nuclear deal negotiations with Iran (see 2207120033), saying the U.S. won’t get a “remotely adequate nuclear deal” out of the process. “For months, Iran has deliberately wasted time by keeping the door open for talks while its nuclear program charges forward,” McCaul said in an Aug. 4 statement. “The administration needs to wake up to this farce and pull the plug.”
Members of the G-7, along with the EU, said this week they are considering more measures to reduce Russia’s ability to export its energy around the world, including a “comprehensive” ban on all services that “enable transportation of Russian seaborne crude oil and petroleum products globally” unless the oil is purchased below a certain price. The countries also said they plan to continue to reduce reliance on a range of Russian imports, including “civil nuclear and related goods,” and will help other countries also diversify away from Russia. “As we phase out Russian energy from our domestic markets, we will seek to develop solutions that reduce Russian revenues from hydrocarbons, support stability in global energy markets, and minimize negative economic impacts, especially on low- and middle-income countries,” the countries said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control reissued three Russia-related general licenses Aug. 3 to clarify that the licenses apply to Joint Stock Company State Transportation Leasing Company. The Aug. 2 GLs (see 2208020032) omitted the word Leasing in the company’s name. The GLs are otherwise unchanged.