Brad Brooks-Rubin, the State Department’s former sanctions policy lead for sub-Saharan Africa, Myanmar and natural resources issues, left the agency last week, he announced on LinkedIn. Brooks-Rubin had worked in the State Department’s Office of Sanctions Coordination since June 2022.
A new U.K. general license authorizes certain transactions with sanctioned parties involving U.K. government debt. The license, issued Oct. 14, allows certain payments "in respect of UK Government Debt where either the legal holder or the direct or indirect recipient or beneficiary of that payment is a UK" sanctioned or "prohibited" party, "provided the payments are held in Frozen Accounts or UK Prohibited Persons Accounts." The license defines "prohibited" parties as people and entities subject to certain sanctions against Russia or Belarus, and it defines "UK Government Debt" to mean "all securities issued by, or on behalf of His Majesty's Government in respect of money borrowed by His Majesty's Government."
The Council of the European Union on Oct. 14 renewed its chemical weapons sanctions regime for another year, extending the sanctions until Oct. 16, 2025. The restrictions currently cover 25 people and three entities.
The Council of the European Union on Oct. 14 added five people and one entity to its Moldova sanctions regime for actions related to Russian attempts to destabilize the country. The sanctions include the governor of the autonomous territorial unit of Gagauzia, Evghenia Gutul, as well as other officials in the territorial unit. The council also listed Evrazia, a Russia-based group "whose goal is to promote Russia's interests abroad," along with its director and founder Nelli Parutenco.
The U.K. on Oct. 15 added nine entries to its Iran sanctions regime and seven entries to its global human rights sanctions regime.
The Council of the European Union on Oct. 14 added seven people and seven entities to its Iran sanctions list as a response to Iran's recent transfer of missiles and drones to Russia (see 2409160005). The additions include three Iranian airlines and two procurement companies that transfer and supply the drones and missiles through "transnational procurement networks" to be used in the war in Ukraine. Two propellant manufacturers were also sanctioned. The individuals include the deputy defense minister of Iran, various Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps officials and the managing directors of Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industries and Aerospace Industries Organization.
The U.S. and Canada this week designated the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, known as Samidoun, for being a “sham charity” that operates as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is soliciting public comments on the effectiveness of its export licensing procedures for agricultural commodities to Cuba, it said in a notice. The agency plans to include a “description” of any comments it receives in a report that it must submit every two years to Congress as part of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000. Along with those comments, the report will include Cuba-related licensing data for the two-year period from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2024. Comments are due Nov. 15.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently updated a table on its website that lists which countries are eligible for License Exception Implemented Export Controls, an exception unveiled Sept. 5 that allows exporters to ship certain quantum computing items, chip machines and other advanced technologies without a license (see 2409050028). In a final rule, BIS said it updated the table on Sept. 17 by adding Denmark, Finland and Japan “to appropriate items in the table.” It also revised the table’s URL to be “shorter and simpler” and made other minor changes. The final rule is effective Oct. 16.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has completed a round of interagency review for a final rule that could remove export licensing requirements for certain spacecraft and related items destined to Australia, Canada and the U.K. BIS sent the rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Aug. 30 (see 2409030005), and the review was completed Oct. 10.