The Treasury and State departments May 20 sanctioned two senior Ansarallah military leaders for exacerbating Yemen’s civil war. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Muhammad Abd Al-Karim al-Ghamari and the State Department designated Yusuf al-Madani. The agencies said the two committed human rights violations and terrorism on behalf of Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis.

The State Department designated Sali Berisha, Albania's former president, prime minister and Parliament member, for his involvement in significant corruption, the agency said May 19. The State Department also designated his spouse, son and daughter: Liri Berisha, Shkelzen Berisha and Argita Berisha Malltezi, respectively. The agency said Berisha misappropriated public funds and used his power to enrich himself and his political allies.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control amended the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations to reflect the U.S. decision to revoke Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism (see 2012170015, 2101140018 and 2104120030). The final rule, effective May 20, removes a general license from the regulations and amends another license to remove references to the Sudanese government and Sudanese nationals.

The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added Myanmar Gems Enterprise to its sanctions list, a May 17 financial sanctions notice said. The sanctions are related to Myanmar's February military coup and subsequent crackdown on protesters. OFSI believes that MGE is controlled by Myanmar's State Administration Council, which oversees the governance of ministries and actively undermines democracy in the Southeast Asian nation, the listing said.

The Treasury Department hasn’t found evidence of any foreign banks facilitating “significant transactions” for the Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the U.S. under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, the agency said in a report released to Congress May 18. Treasury said it will “continue to actively monitor” for those transactions and said it has held “constructive conversations” with other nations about sanctions risks associated with China and Hong Kong. The agency also said it told foreign banks that it is willing to “engage further” with them about their potential sanctions exposure. Treasury released similar findings and statements in its report last year (see 2012140011).

The Office of Foreign Assets Control extended a general license authorizing certain transactions involving securities of companies that “closely” match the name of a company identified as a Chinese military company (see 2011130026), a May 18 notice said. General License No. 1B, which replaced General License No. 1A (see 2101270009), authorizes the transactions through 9:30 a.m. EDT June 11 and past the previous expiration date of May 27.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people and one entity for helping the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group access financial systems in the Middle East, a May 17 news release said. The sanctions target Alaa Khanfurah for transferring funds to ISIS through his Turkey-based money service business, Idris Ali Awad al-Fay for using the sanctioned Turkey-based Al-Fay Company to help distribute currency for ISIS, and Ibrahim Ali Awad al-Fay for owning the Al-Fay Co.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 16 people and one entity connected to Myanmar’s military, which is committing human rights violations after overthrowing the country’s government earlier this year, the agency said May 17. The designations target 13 “key members” of the Myanmar military, three adult children of previously designated military officials and the State Administration Council (SAC), which was created by the military to support its overthrow of the government.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control amended its Narcotics Trafficking Sanctions Regulations and the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations to add and revise general licenses, prohibitions, definitions and technical changes, the agency said in a notice released May 14. The final rule, effective May 17, will revise several general licenses related to payments for “legal services,” certain transactions for “maintenance of blocked tangible property” and emergency medical services, which will be subject to new recordkeeping requirements. The agency also revised definitions for “foreign person” and “specially designated narcotics trafficker,” updated certain “regulatory provisions” in the sanctions language, and made other conforming changes.

The United Kingdom's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added two individuals and one entity to its Libya sanctions regime and amended one entry, in a May 13 financial sanctions notice. Mohamed Al-Kani and Abdurahem Al Kani were added to the list for their serious human rights abuses in Libya, along with the al-Kaniyat militia on the grounds that the group has committed shocking violations of international humanitarian law. In addition, OFSI updated the individual listing of Aisha Muammar Muhammed Abu Minyar Qadhafi, updating her Libyan passport number.