The U.S. sanctioned Ashraf al-Qizani, the leader of an Islamic State group affiliate in Tunisia, for terrorism, the State Department said Dec. 11. The announcement designated al-Qizani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist due to his “numerous attacks” in Tunisia.
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The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two senior Iranian intelligence officials involved in the 2007 abduction of a U.S. law enforcement agent, OFAC said Dec. 14. The sanctions target Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, officials at Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security, for the abduction of Robert Levinson, a retired FBI agent at the time who was working as a private investigator.
The Treasury Department said it has not found evidence of any foreign banks facilitating “significant transactions” for the Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the U.S. in August (see 2008070039), the agency said in a report released to Congress Dec. 11. Treasury said it will “continue to monitor for any activity that meets these criteria” and will “engage foreign governments” and financial institutions “to ensure they understand the reporting requirements and sanctions risks under” the Hong Kong Autonomy Act (see 2007140068), the report said. The agency said it has had “constructive conversations” with “foreign counterparts across the globe” about complying with U.S. sanctions and has asked other governments to “communicate these requirements and risks to financial institutions within their respective jurisdictions.”
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added 11 entries under its global human rights sanctions regime, it said Dec. 10. The designations target 11 politicians, officials and other human rights violators in Russia, Venezuela, The Gambia and Pakistan, it said. This is the third time the U.K. has imposed sanctions under its human rights regime since launching it in July (see 2007060025).
The Treasury Department sanctioned 20 people and entities and the State Department sanctioned 17 people for human rights violations, the agencies said Dec. 10. Treasury’s sanctions target government and military officials in Haiti, Yemen and Russia, six Russian companies and other people in Russia associated with Ramzan Kadyrov, the sanctioned head of the Chechen Republic. The State Department’s sanctions target 17 foreign government officials in El Salvador, Jamaica and China, including Chief Huang Yuanxiong of the Xiamen Public Security Bureau Wucun Police Station. The agency’s sanctions also target the officials’ immediate family members.
China said it imposed sanctions on U.S. government officials, lawmakers and nongovernmental organizations in retaliation for the U.S. designating 14 members of China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee (see 2012070024). China’s Foreign Ministry did not specify but said sanctions include “U.S. officials of [the] executive branch” and “people of Congress.” The sanctions target those “who act egregiously and bear major responsibilities on Hong Kong-related issues and their immediate family members,” the spokesperson said Dec. 10. “As to who will be covered, I'm sure those who fall under this category know very well.” China also revoked “visa exemption treatment” for U.S. diplomatic passport holders temporarily visiting Hong Kong and Macau. The White House did not comment.
The United Nations Security Council’s Sanctions Committee recently approved updates to its exemption procedures for humanitarian assistance to North Korea, a Dec. 7 news release said. The updates will help provide U.N. member states and nongovernmental organizations with clearer explanations of the UNSC’s humanitarian exemption mechanism, including guidance and recommendations on how to submit exemption requests. The UNSC said the updates will “further simplify several areas of the application process,” extend the “standard duration” for exemptions from six to nine months, allow for “greater flexibility in the shipment consolidation process” and introduce a “best practices process” for applicants.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation removed 12 entries from its Iraq sanctions list, a Dec. 9 notice said. The move brings the U.K. in line with the United Nations’ decision earlier this month to remove the same designated people and entities (see 2012020004).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people and three entities in Africa and Asia for corruption, a Dec. 9 news release said. The designations were made as part of International Anti-Corruption Day and imposed sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The incoming Joe Biden administration is planning a “top-to-bottom review” of sanctions operations, programs, budgets and staffing levels at the Treasury Department, Bloomberg reported Dec. 8. It said Adewale Adeyemo, Biden’s pick for deputy treasury secretary, will lead the review. Adeyemo will address “staffing issues” and consider increasing the budget for the Terrorism and Financial Intelligence unit, which oversees the Office of Foreign Assets Control. A Biden transition team spokesperson didn’t comment. OFAC lost a record number of employees last year, which has led to longer processing times and an influx of inexperienced officials (see 2010290028).