The European Union Foreign Affairs Council recommended placing restrictive measures on the individuals responsible for the arrest and persecution of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, European Commission High Representative Josep Borrell announced in a Feb. 22 press briefing. The sanctions, which include an asset freeze and travel ban, would mark the first use of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime that became law in December (see 2012070010). The decision to impose these sanctions will now be subject to an administrative review by the European Council where they will likely be ultimately decided and imposed within a week, Borrell said.
The Senate on Feb. 23 voted 78-20 to confirm Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. During a January confirmation hearing, Thomas-Greenfield said she supports sanctions against China for human rights violations, vowed to counter China’s takeover of leadership positions at international standards-setting bodies, and said she will support U.S. arms sales to Taiwan (see 2101270053).
The United Nations Security Council amended one sanctions entry related to the Central African Republic, a Feb. 22 notice said. The change updates and revises identifying information for Bi Sidi Souleman, who was sanctioned last year (see 2008060019) for leading Retour, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, a militia group involved in warfare and illegal arms trafficking.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two people involved in Myanmar’s military coup carried out earlier this month, OFAC said Feb. 22. The designations target Moe Myint Tun and Maung Maung Kyaw, who the State Department said are members of Myanmar's State Administrative Council. The move follows previous U.S. sanctions imposed on Myanmar this month, along with increased export restrictions (see 2102110020).
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Adewale Adeyemo, President Joe Biden’s nominee for deputy treasury secretary, said he is open to continuing unilateral sanctions against China but stressed that he prefers multilateral sanctions and closer coordination with allies. Adeyemo also said he plans to conduct a “top-to-bottom” review of the agency’s sanctions procedures (see 2101190060) and examine whether the U.S.’s foreign investment screening tools should be strengthened.
The European Union added 19 top Venezuelan officials to its sanctions list for their roles in undermining democracy and the rule of law in the South American country along with serious human rights violations, the European Council said in a Feb. 22 news release. The targeted individuals are military, political and judicial leaders, bringing to 55 the total number of sanctioned Venezuelan officials. The expanded sanctions come after announcements from the EC Jan. 7 and Jan. 25, threatening additional targeted measures against Venezuelan officials if President Nicolas Maduro did not begin a transition period to the democratically elected opposition (see 2101060010).
Following Canada's imposition of restrictions on trade with China's Xinjiang region, stemming from the use of forced labor and other human rights violations, industry is expressing anxiety over its ability to come into full compliance with the new regulations, a lawyer said. Cliff Sosnow, partner at Fasken, told Export Compliance Daily that Canada's new regulations are meant to make it harder on importers to import goods with links to Xinjiang and to ramp up the pressure on companies to show due diligence in regard to the sanctity of their supply chains.
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., introduced a bill called the Supporting Mexico Against Corruption Act, which would require the president to impose Magnitsky sanctions on Mexican government officials where there is “credible evidence” they have engaged in corruption described in the Global Magnitsky Act. Gallagher, in a press release announcing the bill's introduction, said that the Treasury has only sanctioned one Mexican government official under the Magnitsky Act since 2016.
The United Nations Security Council removed sanctions from two people after receiving delisting requests, it said in a Feb. 19 news release. The UNSC delisted Said ben Abdelhakim Ben Omar al-Cherif and Emrah Erdogan from its ISIL (Da’esh) and al‑Qaida Sanctions List. They are no longer subject to an asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.