The U.S. announced new export controls and sanctions against Iran, as well as new export controls against Russia intended to address Iran’s support for Russia’s drone program, in response to Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13.
The Bureau of Industry and Security on April 18 issued an interim final rule that removes some Export Administration Regulations licensing requirements for Australia and the U.K. to facilitate cooperation under the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) Trilateral Security Partnership, among other things. Under the rule, “Australia and the UK will have nearly the same licensing treatment under the EAR as Canada,” BIS said. The changes take effect April 19. Comments on the interim final rule are due June 3.
The Ukraine High Anti-Corruption Court on April 10 upheld the Ministry of Justice's bid to impose sanctions and confiscate the assets of former Minister of Education and Science Dmytro Tabachnyk, according to an unofficial translation. The court noted that Tabachnyk is in the "temporarily occupied territories" and helps support the creation and functioning of the occupying administrations. The Ukrainian government sought to confiscate five land plots, a residential building, half a share of an apartment and monetary assets from the former minister. Ukraine's enforcement of its sanctions regime takes the form of asset freezes, the seizure of property and criminal sanctions, according to a blog post from global law firm Baker McKenzie. Ukraine passed legislation last year allowing for the "expropriation of property of" sanctioned parties.
The U.K. on April 16 amended the sanctions listing for one entity on its North Korea sanctions list, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced. The entry for the National Aerospace Development Administration was updated to accurately reflect the entity's name, "National Aerospace Technology Administration."
The Cyprus Bar Association (CBA) last week raided a lawyer's lobbying firm offices as part of an investigation into "suspected fictitious transactions," Cyprus newspaper Phileleftheros reported. The investigation centered on Finsol, a firm that provides services to Santinomo, which reportedly holds shares in Intellexa AE -- an entity that's part of U.S.-sanctioned spyware firm Intellexa. The suspicious transactions began "shortly after US sanctions were imposed on entities of the Intellexa group," the newspaper's report said. A Greek lawyer registered with CBA owns Finsol. The CBA's compliance and oversight department is conducting the investigation and, upon its conclusion, will send a report to the association's administrative council. The council will decide whether "disciplinary measures will be taken or, more importantly, whether the case will be referred to the police for criminal investigation," Phileleftheros reported.
A former North Korean official serving in Thailand, Myong Ho Ri, was charged with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions, bank fraud and money laundering, DOJ announced.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 16 approved a bill that would extend the U.S. government’s authority to impose sanctions on the Nicaraguan regime through the end of 2028. The Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights in Nicaragua Act also would expand sanctions to include Nicaraguan officials responsible for human rights violations against religious believers, and it would direct the State Department to enforce sectoral sanctions.
The full House and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee each approved several Iran sanctions bills this week, reflecting increasing congressional concern about Tehran's behavior.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control said April 16 that it’s issuing a final rule to remove the Zimbabwe sanctions regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations. OFAC said it’s taking the action because President Joe Biden on March 4 terminated the 2003 national emergency declaration for Zimbabwe (see 2403040039). The final rule will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register April 17.
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