Australia expanded its sanctions laws this week to create a Magnitsky-style regime that will allow it to more easily target human rights abusers, corruption and “malicious” cyber activities, the foreign affairs ministry said. The new rules, which were passed by the country’s parliament Dec. 2 and have been under review for at least two years (see 1912050026), will ensure Australia can “take timely action” with its allies “to impose costs on, influence, and deter those responsible for egregious situations of international concern,” the ministry said. The country will also be able to establish “further thematic sanctions regulations in the future,” the ministry added, including “in relation to serious violations of international humanitarian law.” The U.S. first passed the Magnitsky Act in 2012 and has since lobbied for allies to adopt similar sanctions authorities. The European Parliament, the United Kingdom, Germany and others have taken steps to adopt Magitsky-style sanctions (see 2106180009, 2009100015 and 2007060025).
The State Department this month updated its list of terrorist designations.
Airbnb has available more than a dozen homes for rent in China’s Xinjiang province on land owned by a Chinese entity that is subject to U.S. sanctions, Axios reported Nov. 30. The entity, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, was sanctioned by the Treasury Department in 2020 for human rights abuses, including for helping to create a surveillance and detention program for Muslim minority groups (see 2007310028). Information connecting “numerous Airbnb listings” with XPCC-owned land is publicly available, including on Airbnb’s website, the report said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control last week renewed a general license authorizing transactions between certain companies and Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. General License No. 8I, which replaces No. 8H (see 2106020003), authorizes transactions between PdVSA and Chevron, Halliburton, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Weatherford International, with certain restrictions, through 12:01 a.m. EDT June 1, 2022. The license was scheduled to expire Dec. 1.
Germany is privately urging Congress not to push for more sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, which it said could “undercut” European energy security and “seriously weaken transatlantic unity on Russia,” Axios reported Nov. 28. In a November “non-paper,” which was intended to be used in closed discussions, the Germany Embassy in Washington said the U.S. shouldn’t increase pressure on the project. It also reaffirmed its commitment to the joint declaration issued earlier this year (see 2107220008) that said it would push for European Union sanctions against Russia if the country weaponizes the pipeline.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control amended the Syrian Sanctions Regulations to expand an authorization for certain activities of nongovernmental organizations in Syria, OFAC said in final rule released Nov. 24. The rule, effective Nov. 26, expands a general license to allow NGOs to conduct certain “assistance-related investment activities in support of certain not-for-profit activities in Syria.” OFAC also amended the license to specify that it doesn’t apply to foreign people or entities that have been designated as a foreign terrorist organization or “otherwise designated as a terrorist organization by the Secretary of State.”
The U.S. this week announced new sanctions against a shipping company and its vessel for their involvement in the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The State Department designated the vessel Marlin and Transadria Ltd., which it called a “Russia-linked entity,” under the Protecting Europe’s Energy Security Act of 2019. The agency also said it "listed" another vessel in a report to Congress pursuant to PEESA, but it didn't name the vessel and didn't say whether it would be sanctioned.
The Treasury Department is seeking comments on an information collection relating to the Rough Diamonds Control Regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency said in a notice released Nov. 23. The collection includes information on certain customs and reporting requirements for shipments of rough diamonds. Comments are due Dec. 24.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Ismatullah Khalozai, a financial facilitator for the Islamic State’s Khorasan Province, also known as ISIS-K, the agency said Nov. 22. Khalozai has supported the operations of the ISIS-K by “facilitating international financial transactions that fund human trafficking networks,” OFAC said. Khalozai also helped move foreign fighters to “escalate tensions in Afghanistan and the region.” OFAC also sanctioned three other as leaders of ISIS-K but didn’t immediately provide more information on their designations. The individuals are: Sultan Aziz Azam, Maulawi Rajab and Sanaullah Ghafari.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control Nov. 22 deleted a range of entries on its Specially Designated Nationals List and updated other entries. A Treasury spokesperson said some sanctions were removed because the individuals died, while updates include new date of birth information, aliases and “other data corrections.” The deleted and updated entries have ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Pakistan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Syria and others.