Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., introduced a bill Dec. 17 to sanction foreign persons that undermine Lebanon’s democratic institutions and processes. The bill also would codify sanctions imposed under executive order 13441 against those who undermine Lebanon’s sovereignty and democratic institutions. The bill, which has a wide range of other Lebanon provisions, is meant to strengthen the Middle Eastern country as it seeks to rebound from the recent war on its territory between Hezbollah and Israel. It was referred to Cardin’s committee.
A bipartisan group of six senators urged the Biden administration Dec. 17 to sanction foreign entities involved in illegally smuggling gold from Sudan to the United Arab Emirates and other countries.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is placing new export controls on certain toxins, chemicals and other items that can be used to make bioweapons as part of a final rule to align its restrictions with allies'.
David Rivera, a former Republican member of Congress from Florida, was charged this week with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act after he allegedly failed to report receiving millions of dollars in exchange for lobbying the Trump administration to remove sanctions on a Venezuelan businessman.
Lawmakers unveiled a new continuing resolution late Dec. 19 that doesn't include the outbound investment restrictions and export control and sanctions provisions that an earlier version contained (see 2412180034).
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended one entry under its Belarus sanctions regime on Dec. 19. OFSI altered the listing for Mikail Gutseriev, a Cypriot-Russian businessman, to establish that he was being sanctioned for "owning or controlling directly or indirectly" Belarussian energy companies JSC NK Neftisa and PJSC RussNeft.
The U.S. and the U.K. this week sanctioned several Georgian government officials for their involvement in the violent suppression of media members, opposition figures and protesters, and other human rights violations aimed at stifling civil dissent. The Office of Foreign Assets Control said some of those "brutal crackdowns" took place in November after Georgia's prime minister announced the country planned to suspend negotiations around joining the EU, prompting country-wide protests.
The U.S. sanctioned several entities and vessels this week that it said are trading in Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals, which is helping to generate billions of dollars in revenue for Iran’s government.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned a range of people and entities for their roles in arms trafficking, money laundering, oil shipping and other activities that support the Yemen-based Houthis. OFAC said the designations specifically target key “smuggling operatives” and financial facilitators that allow the Houthis, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, to buy and move dual-use items and weapons parts.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control updated its online landing page for licenses to improve the “user experience,” published a new guide on checking the status of specific license applications and issued a set of best practices on applying for a license. The best practices guidance includes a checklist of do’s and don’t’s that applicants should follow when preparing an application and awaiting a decision.