A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with two recent European Council sanctions moves under its Iran and Syria sanctions regimes.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control reached a $3.3 million settlement this week with a California-based skincare company and a $175,000 settlement with its former unnamed senior executive for illegal exports to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. Murad, owned by multinational company Unilever, worked with distributors in Iran and the United Arab Emirates to ship goods to Iran, leading to at least 62 exports worth more than $11 million, OFAC said.
A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with three recent sanctions decisions from the EU under its ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaeda, Syria and Iran sanctions regimes, the European Council said.
A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with two recent sanctions moves by the EU. Under the Iran sanctions regime, the council renewed the restrictions for another 12 months, until April 13, 2024, the European Council announced. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Liechtenstein and Norway also imposed this decision, the council said. The EU also implemented a humanitarian exemption to its sanctions regimes. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway aligned with the decision.
The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not apply to criminal cases, the Supreme Court of the U.S. held in an April 17 opinion, opening Turkish state-owned Halkbank up to criminal prosecution for conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the author of the opinion, said the text of the FSIA, which the bank claimed protected it from prosecution, clearly shows it only addresses civil suits. Six of the court's justices sided with Kavanaugh, with Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito dissenting (Turkiye Halk Bankasi A.S. v. U.S., Sup. Ct. # 21-1450).
Niloufar Bahadorifar, a U.S. citizen originally from Iran, was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran by providing financial services to the Iranian government and for structuring cash deposits, DOJ announced. The Irvine, California, resident was found guilty of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation this week added two people and one entity to its Myanmar sanctions list: Khin Phyu Win, director of Shoon Energy; Tun Min Latt, director of Star Sapphire Trading Co.; and Shoon Energy. The U.S. sanctioned Tun Min Latt and Star Sapphire last week (see 2303240024).
The EU added eight people and one entity to its Iran sanctions regime, the European Council announced. The individuals are members of the judiciary responsible for issuing death sentences in "unfair trials and for the torturing of convicts," conservative clerics, a member of the Iranian Parliament, spokespeople for the Parliament's cultural commission and the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil, and an official with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The listed entity is the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution. The sanctions on Iran now cover 204 people and 34 entities.
The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added two entries to its Iran (Human Rights) sanctions regime and one name to its Syria restrictions. Seyyed Mohammed Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani and the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil were both added to the Iran sanctions regime. Golpayegani is the head of the listed entity. The entry for Morteza Barati was amended. OFSI also designated Amjad Youssef, a military officer, under its Syria sanctions list.
The EU added 32 individuals and two entities to its Iran sanctions regime in response to ongoing human rights violations, the European Council announced. The listed individuals include the Iranian minister of culture and Islamic guidance, education minister, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander and spokesperson, founders of Ravin Academy, members of the Iranian parliament backing the violent crackdown, and members of the police, judiciary and prison systems, the council said. The listed entities are the Law Enforcement Forces Cooperation Foundation and the Police Science and Social Studies Institute. The restrictions now cover 196 individuals and 33 entities.