The European Union Council renewed sanctions against Russian people and entities for the “illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation,” according to a June 20 council decision. The sanctions ban all imports into the EU originating in Crimea or Sevastopol except if those goods were “granted a certificate of origin by the Government of Ukraine,” according to the original decision. The sanctions were renewed for one year until June 23, 2020.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four Nicaraguan government officials who allegedly “persecute Nicaraguan citizens,” “enact repressive laws,” silence the press and restrict medical care to the country’s people, Treasury said in a June 21 press release. OFAC is sanctioning Gustavo Eduardo Porras Cortes, Orlando Jose Castillo Castillo, Sonia Castro Gonzalez and Oscar Salvador Mojica Obregon.

The U.S. is continuing sanctions on the Western Balkans beyond the June 26 expiration date, extending a national emergency first declared June 26, 2001, according to a June 18 White House press release. The White House cited the continued threat of people involved in “extremist violence” in the region and acts that obstruct the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The actions continue to pose an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security, the press release said.

Iran is reducing its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action because it said other JCPOA “parties do not abide by theirs,” according to a June 18 press release by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Russian Financial Society, a Russian financial services entity, after OFAC said it helped North Korea evade U.S. sanctions, Treasury said in a June 19 press release. Russian Financial Society provided or attempted to provide “financial, material, technological, or other support for” U.S.-sanctioned Dandong Zhongsheng Industry & Trade Co. Ltd, the press release said. Dandong Zhongsheng is owned by Foreign Trade Bank, North Korea’s “primary foreign exchange bank,” which is sanctioned by both the U.S. and the United Nations, Treasury said.

The European Union Council revoked its sanctions regime on the Maldives because of the country’s improving political situation, the council said in a June 17 press release. The sanctions were created in July 2018 to target people or entities that contributed to human rights violations and the “deterioration of the political situation” in the country, but “no persons or entities were listed under this sanctions regime,” the press release said. The council made the decision to revoke the regime after the country held “peaceful and democratic parliamentary elections” in April and committed to “ensure good governance, and promote respect for human rights” during a March policy meeting with the EU.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a $40,000 settlement with Cubasphere and an unnamed individual for violating the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, OFAC said in a June 13 enforcement notice.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a $325,000 settlement with Expedia Group Inc. for helping more than 2,000 people with “Cuba-related travel services” that OFAC said violated the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, according to a June 13 enforcement notice.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a more than $220,000 settlement with Spain-based Hotelbeds USA for helping more than 700 people with Cuba-related travel services that violated the Cuba Assets Control Regulations, OFAC said in a June 13 enforcement notice.

The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Iraq-based South Wealth Resources Company (SWRC), the “financial conduit” for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps-Qods Force, Treasury said in a June 12 press release. Treasury said SWRC has trafficked “hundreds of millions of dollars” in weapons to Iraqi militias. OFAC also sanctioned two SWRC associates, Makki Kazim ‘Abd Al Hamid Al Asadi and Mohammed Hussein Salih Al Hasani, for facilitating the IRGC’s access to Iraq’s financial system to evade U.S. sanctions. SWRC and its two associates are being sanctioned as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, the press release said.