The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued several “administrative updates” to certain Specially Designated Nationals List records, according to a May 7 notice. The updates “reclassified certain aliases as weak.” The notice contains the unique identification numbers (UIDs) for each of the affected SDN entries.
The United Nations Security Council amended a sanctions entry for Martin Koumtamadji, the leader of an anti-government militia in the Central African Republic, according to a May 5 notice. The update provides more identifying information. Koumtamadji was sanctioned by the UNSC and the United Kingdom in April (see 2004220011).
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its Nicaragua sanctions to match the recent designations by the European Union of six Nicaraguan officials (see 2005050016), according to a May 5 notice. All six officials are now subject to an asset freeze.
The United Nations issued a sanctions exemption to allow a South Korean non-governmental organization to ship goods into North Korea, according to an April 30 UN letter. The organization, Greentree International, will import a range of construction materials into North Korea for an “agricultural rehabilitation project” to assist people with disabilities. The items will be shipped together in a “consolidated manner” to increase “efficiency of shipping and custom clearance.”
The European Council sanctioned six people responsible for human rights violations in Nicaragua, according to a May 4 press release. The EU sanctioned Ramon Antonio Avellan Medal, Sonia Castro Gonzalez, Francisco Javier Diaz Madriz, Nestor Moncada Lau, Luis Perez Olivas and Justo Pastor Urbina. All six people are officials working for Nicaragua’s National Police or the government.
United Nations human rights experts are urging the U.S. to lift sanctions and other trade measures against Cuba to help the country respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an April 30 news release. The UN called on the U.S. to lift trade barriers, tariffs, quotas and other non-tariff measures that may be blocking Cuban imports of humanitarian goods. The experts said U.S. policy toward Cuba creates a “cumbersome and expensive licensing process” for exports. They also said the U.S. has “ignored repeated calls to waive sanctions that undermine the capacity of Cuba and other countries to respond effectively to the pandemic.” The Treasury Department said it maintains sufficient exemptions for humanitarian trade (see 2004170017 and 2004100044).
Germany sanctioned Hezbollah and confiscated its assets, according to an unofficial translation of an April 30 government notice. The sanctions also apply to Hizballah “sub-organizations” based in Germany, the notice said.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation issued a correction for 137 listings under its Afghanistan sanctions regime, according to an April 30 notice. Of the listings, 136 remain subject to an asset freeze, OFSI said. The agency removed one entry from the list: Ahmadullah.
Two Iranian nationals were charged with violating U.S. export controls and sanctions after they tried to help Iranian entities buy a petroleum tanker, the Justice Department said May 1. Amir Dianat and Kamran Lajmiri allegedly concealed details about the transaction from the seller, financial institutions and the U.S. government, the agency said, and failed to disclose that the tanker was destined for Iran. Both were charged with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. The U.S. also filed a civil forfeiture action against Dainat for about $12.3 million, saying the funds were used in a money-laundering scheme to buy the tanker. The scheme involved the National Iranian Oil Company, the National Iranian Tanker Company and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, all on the Specially Designated Nationals list. The tanker was valued at more than $10 million, Justice said.
Sudan is being severely hampered by unilateral sanctions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations said April 28. The country is facing “acute resource constraints” because of its position on the U.S.’s list of state-sponsored terrorism, which is leading to a humanitarian crisis, said Michelle Bachelet, UN commissioner for human rights. “The only way Sudan will ever be able to break out of this cycle of poverty and desperation is to be freed from the impediments of sanctions,” Bachelet said.