The EU imposed sanctions on nine people under its Global Human Rights sanctions regime for their role in sentencing Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison "on politically motivated charges and false allegations," the European Council announced. The individuals include the Russian Deputy Minister of Justice for enforcing Russia's "foreign agents" legislation used to crack down on civil society, judges and a senior officer of the Russian penitentiary system.
China this week criticized the U.S. Treasury Department's recent sanctions on seven Chinese entities and six individuals for supplying Mexican drug cartels with equipment used to make illegal drugs, including fentanyl (see 2305300017). According to an unofficial translation, the Ministry of Commerce said China has always strictly enforced drug control and has worked with the U.S. to "solve the fentanyl issue." The sanctions are an "attempt to confuse" and "mislead the public," the ministry said, adding that it will work to safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.
The U.N. Security Council and the U.K. this week removed two people from their ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida Sanctions lists. Sanctions no longer apply to Abd al-Aziz Aday Zimin al-Fadhil and Hamad Awad Dahi Sarhan al-Shammari, who were listed under the U.K.'s regime as Kuwait-based financial service providers for al-Qaida.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned three people and one entity with ties to Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), a sanctions arms trafficking organization. The designations target two senior CJNG members -- Alonso Guerrero Covarrubias and Javier Guerrero Covarrubias -- as well as Mary Cruz Rodriguez Aguirre, who directs a money laundering network on behalf of CJNG using currency exchange house Nacer Agencia Panamericana de Divisas y Centro Cambiario, S.A. de C.V.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is working on a new final rule that could expand its nuclear nonproliferation export controls. BIS sent the rule for interagency review June 5, according to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
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The U.S. announced new sanctions this week against people and entities in China, Hong Kong and Iran for helping Iran procure “sensitive and critical parts and technology” for its ballistic missile programs. The “network” has also helped the Iranian government conduct financial transactions in support of its missile development efforts and aided the country’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), as well as other affiliated procurement organizations, the Office of Foreign Assets Control said.
The U.S. should push the World Trade Organization to end trade-related intellectual property waiver conditions, experts told a House subcommittee this week, saying the waiver may help China acquire sensitive U.S. technologies and leapfrog American innovation in biopharma. Several experts during the hearing suggested the waivers could act as a loophole to U.S. export controls and allow Chinese companies to better compete with the U.S. in the biotechnology industry.
The Bank of Lithuania found that electronic money platform Transactive Systems UAB "seriously and systematically infringed anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing" requirements, following an investigation. As a result, the bank fined the institution over $300,000 and revoked its license to provide financial services. The bank said Transactive System's main infringements were a failure to "properly identify clients, their representatives and beneficiaries," the enabling the opening of anonymous virtual accounts and a failure to ensure "adequate monitoring of business relationships and transactions." The bank added that the platform failed to make sure that international financial sanctions and restrictive measures were properly implemented.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control published previously issued general licenses under its Belarus Sanctions Regulations in three separate notices. The full text of each license is available in the notices.