The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation updated its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida sanctions list Feb. 27 to reflect two deletions recently made by the United Nations Security Council (see 2002200013). The change removed asset freezes from Al-Mokhtar Ben Mohamed Ban Al-Mokhtar Bouchoucha and Imad Ben Bechir Ben Hamda Al-Jammali.
The U.S. renewed sanctions against Cuba to continue beyond March 1, 2020, according to a Feb. 25 White House notice. The White House said Cuba has “not demonstrated that it will refrain from the use of excessive force against United States vessels or aircraft.”
The U.S. renewed sanctions on people and entities that “undermine democratic processes” in Ukraine, according to a Feb. 25 news release from the White House. The sanctions, first issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in 2014, will continue for one year after March 6, 2020, the White House said.
The United Nations Security Council added two entries to its ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida Sanctions List, according to a Feb. 23 news release. The sanctions target two ISIS affiliates: the Islamic State West Africa Province and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. The State Department said it “welcomes” the UNSC sanctions of the two affiliates, which are “responsible for killing hundreds of innocent civilians.” The two entities were sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three Lebanon-based officials and 12 Lebanon-based entities linked to the Martyrs Foundation, which is part of Hizballah’s support network, Treasury said in a Feb. 26 press release. The designations include Atlas Holding, a company owned by the Martyrs Foundation, senior Atlas official Kassem Mohamad Ali Bazzi and 10 Atlas-affiliated companies, Treasury said. The companies operate in Lebanon’s fuel, pharmaceuticals, tourism and clothing sectors.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added Ahmad Al-Hamidawi to its Specially Designated Nationals List, according to a Feb. 26 notice. OFAC did not immediately release more information on the designation.
The State Department announced sanctions on 13 entities and people based in China, Iraq, Russia and Turkey under the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act, the agency said in a Feb. 25 news release. The sanctions target people and companies that support Iran’s missile program. The State Department said the designations are “two-year discretionary sanctions” and block all U.S. government procurement, government assistance and exports related to the people and companies.
The Red Cross was granted a sanctions waiver by the United Nations to supply virus-fighting goods to North Korea to combat the coronavirus epidemic, according to a Feb. 24 news release from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Red Cross said the UN granted the waiver with “speed and urgent attention given,” which will allow the country to import certain humanitarian supplies.
The Financial Action Task Force said Iran has not addressed its “deficiencies” in its anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing controls and urged members to “apply effective counter-measures” against the country, according to a Feb. 21 FATF press release. Countermeasures include greater due diligence when doing business with Iran, including greater “supervisory examination” of subsidiaries within the country and “increased external audit requirements.” The FATF said Iran has failed to address a host of terrorism and money-laundering concerns, including “adequately criminalizing terrorist financing,” freezing terrorist assets in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions and verifying wire transfers.
The U.S. renewed sanctions against Libya under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, according to a Feb. 20 White House notice. The sanctions, first imposed Feb. 25, 2011, were renewed through Feb. 25, 2021, due to the continued threat to U.S. national security by the Libyan government, the notice said.