The European Council on March 12 extended for another six months, until Sept. 15, sanctions on those undermining the sovereignty of Ukraine. The restrictions include an asset freeze on over 2,100 people and entities. The council also decided not to renew the restrictions on three individuals and dropped nine deceased individuals from the list.
The European Parliament this week voted to approve new rules that could require member states to treat sanctions violations as criminal offenses, leading to harsher penalties and possible prison time (see 2312120059).
The European Council extended until Feb. 28, 2025, its sanctions regime on Belarus for its support of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The one-year extension was made as part of an annual review of the sanctions on Belarus, the council said Feb. 26. The restrictions include an asset freeze on 233 people and 37 entities, along with sectoral restrictions on the financial sector, trade, trade in dual-use goods and technology, and more.
The EU General Court on Feb. 7 dismissed sanctions removal applications from Russians Alisher Usmanov and Igor Shuvalov, according to an unofficial translation.
The Biden administration’s review of criteria for approving liquefied natural gas (LNG) export applications is expected to take “months, not years,” a senior Energy Department official said last week.
The U.N. Security Council this week amended 85 entries under its ISIL (Da’esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regime. The UNSC updated each entry with language to show they each underwent a sanctions review in October. All 85 entries are still subject to an asset freeze.
The European Council on Feb. 2 renewed its sanctions on Zimbabwe for another year. The restrictions, which will now expire Feb. 20, 2025, include an embargo on arms and "equipment which might be used for internal repression" and an asset freeze on Zimbabwe Defense Industries. "Since February 2022 there are no listed individuals," the EU said, adding that it will "closely follow developments in Zimbabwe, with a particular attention to the human rights situation."
Behrouz Mokhtari of McLean, Virginia, and Tehran pleaded guilty Jan. 9 to two conspiracies to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran "by engaging in business activities on behalf of Iranian entities" without getting a license from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, DOJ announced Jan. 9. Mokhtari will forfeit money, property and assets obtained from the schemes, including a Campbell, California, home, and a money judgment of over $2.8 million, DOJ said. The defendant faces a maximum of five years in prison for each of the two conspiracy counts.
The European Council added one person to the EU Terrorist List for his role in leading the Oct. 7 attack against Israel, the council announced. Yahia Sinouar, the political leader of Hamas, is now subject to an asset freeze, and EU operators are no longer allowed to make economic resources available to him.
The U.N. Security Council and the U.K. last week amended 14 entries under their ISIL (Da'Esh) and al-Qaida sanctions regimes. The changes affect the listings for 12 people and two entities, including to reflect that some are reportedly deceased. All entries remain subject to an asset freeze.