The European Union is considering sanctions against Belarus for human rights violations and unfair elections earlier this month, an Aug. 11 notice said. The Belarus government “deployed disproportionate and unacceptable violence” to restrict freedom of expression and media, the notice said. The EU will conduct an “in-depth review” of relations with Belarus. “This may include, inter alia, taking measures against those responsible for the observed violence, unjustified arrests, and falsification of election results,” the EU said.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on Aug. 11 corrected 20 listings under its Guinea-Bissau sanctions and 14 listings under its Burma sanctions. The corrections add and delete identifying information for the listings, which remain subject to asset freezes.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued guidance on its Sudan program and Darfur sanctions and removed and revised Sudan-related FAQs. The guidance, issued Aug. 11, clarifies that U.S. people and companies are no longer subject to OFAC’s Sudanese Sanctions Regulations but may be designated under the agency’s Darfur sanctions or captured by Commerce Department export controls.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended six entries under its Central African Republic sanctions regime, an Aug. 10 notice said. The designations include current and former CAR government officials and militia leaders. The six people remain subject to asset freezes, it said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is amending the base civil penalty amount for certain sanctions violations to reflect inflation adjustments for its civil monetary penalties, a notice released Aug. 10 said. The change, which takes effect Aug. 11, revises the definition for OFAC’s “applicable schedule amount,” which establishes a base penalty for non-egregious sanctions violations cases that do not involve a voluntary self-disclosure.
Australia is considering renewing certain sanctions entries under Iran, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, including designations for terrorism-related reasons, it said Aug. 10. Before the sanctions are renewed, Australia said it will accept requests by the listed people to revoke the sanctions or to make a “statement of case.” Australia will accept submissions until 5 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time on Sept. 4.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Aug. 7 sanctioned Bi Sidi Souleymane, leader of the Central African Republic militia group Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation (3R). OFAC said Souleymane was involved in killings, torture and the displacement of thousands of people. The move came days after the United Nations Security Council sanctioned Souleymane (also spelled Souleman and Soulemane) (see 2008060019).
A U.S. technology company is being investigated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control for possible Iran sanctions violations, the company said in an Aug. 4 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. California-based Harmonic Inc. said OFAC is looking into transactions made with Iran by France-based Thomson Video Networks, which Harmonic acquired in 2016. The company said it may be subject to civil, criminal and monetary penalties, the loss of export privileges or “in extreme cases, imprisonment of responsible employees.”
The United Nations Security Council sanctioned the leader of a Central African Republic militia group, the UNSC said in an Aug. 5 notice. The designation targets Bi Sidi Souleman (also spelled Soulemane), who leads the group Retour, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, which is involved in warfare and illegal arms trafficking. The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation sanctioned Souleman Aug. 6.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people, one entity and one vessel for using Libya to smuggle fuel and illegal drugs, OFAC said Aug. 6. The designations target Libyan national Faysal al-Wadi, his vessel Maraya, his two associates Musbah Mohamad Wadi and Nourddin Milood Musbah, and the Malta-based company Alwefaq Ltd.