While the United Kingdom will continue many of the same sanctions regimes imposed by the European Union, companies should not assume the two sets of sanctions regulations will be “identical” after Brexit, the U.K.’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said. In a Dec. 1 blog post, OFSI said some of its regulations have revised wording and urged businesses to review U.K. sanctions to make sure their “activities are still compliant.”

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation published a guidance Dec. 1 for its Lebanon sanctions, including details on enforcement measures and license exceptions, and how the sanctions will apply beginning Jan. 1, 2021, the day the U.K. leaves the European Union.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Jhon Fredy Zapata Garzon for supporting Clan del Golfo, a prominent drug trafficking and criminal group in Colombia, OFAC said Dec. 1. The agency also sanctioned three of Garzon’s family members and associates -- Tatiana Marguerid Zapata Garzon, Euclides Correa Salas and Einer Murillo Palacios -- and four businesses owned or controlled by Garzon and his associates -- Las Ingenierias S.A.S., Fresno Home S.A.S., Distriecor S.A.S. and Multioperaciones de Occidente S.A.S., which are used to launder money for Garzon’s drug trafficking.

China will sanction four people for promoting democracy in Hong Kong in retaliation for U.S. sanctions against officials responsible for implementing Hong Kong’s so-called national security law (see 2011090044). China’s sanctions target John Knaus, an Asia expert at the National Endowment for Democracy, National Democratic Institute official Manpreet Anand and former NDI employees Kelvin Sit and Crystal Rosario, China’s Foreign Ministry said Nov. 30. All four people will be banned from coming to China, Reuters reported Nov. 30.

The United Kingdom issued a guidance for its Mali sanctions Nov. 30, detailing the prohibitions, record-keeping requirements, enforcement measures and license exceptions. The guidance also clarifies how the sanctions will be imposed once the U.K. has left the European Union Jan. 1, 2021.

The United Kingdom amended 15 entries under its Afghanistan sanctions regime, a Nov. 27 notice said. The changes update identifying information for the entries.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended two entries under its cyberattacks sanctions regime, according to a Nov. 24 notice. The notice updated identifying information for Gao Qiang and Zhang Shilong, two Chinese nationals involved in cyberattacks on multinational companies in the European Union (see 2007310007).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the Kaniyat militia and its leader, Mohamed al-Kani, for serious human rights abuses, according to a Nov. 25 press release. Al-Kani and the militia are responsible for numerous civilian executions and other human rights violations in Libya, OFAC said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control published a notice Nov. 30 listing three previously issued Venezuela-related general licenses that contain authorizations related to Petroleos de Venezuela. In addition to the current General License 5E, the notice contains general licenses 5C and 5D, both of which were superseded by GL 5E, which was issued in October (see 2010060036). The authorizations in GL 5E will become effective Jan. 19, 2021.

The U.S. extended by one year the national emergency authorizing sanctions against Nicaragua, the White House said Nov. 24. President Daniel Ortega’s regime continues to undermine democratic institutions and abuse human rights in the country, the notice said. The emergency would have ended Nov. 27.