The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four officials of Venezuela’s General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence accused of human rights abuses, Treasury said in a July 19 press release. The sanctioned officials are: Division General Rafael Ramón Blanco Marrero, Colonel Hannover Esteban Guerrero Mijares, Major Alexander Enrique Granko Arteaga and Colonel Rafael Antonio Franco Quintero. The sanctions follow alleged human rights abuses involved in the arrest, torture and death of Venezuelan Navy Captain Rafael Acosta Arévalo, Treasury said. OFAC used Acosta’s death as justification for sanctioning the Venezuelan military agency on July 11 (see 1907110040).
The State Department sanctioned four Burmese officials and their immediate family members for “gross human rights violations” related to Burma’s ethnic cleansing of Rohingya, the State Department said in a July 16 press release. The department sanctioned Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, Brigadier General Than Oo and Brigadier General Aung Aung. The State Department said these sanctions make the U.S. “the first government to publicly take action with respect to the most senior leadership of the Burmese military.”
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a “network of front companies and agents involved” in procuring enriched uranium for Iran’s nuclear program, Treasury said in a July 18 press release. The entities and people are based in Iran, China and Belgium and worked as a “procurement network” for Iran’s Centrifuge Technology Company, which produces centrifuges in facilities belonging to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Treasury said.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned four Iraqi nationals for human rights violations, Treasury said in a July 17 press release. Two are “militia figures” and two are former Iraqi governors, Treasury said. Rayan al-Kildani and Waad Qado, leaders of Iraqi militias, were designated for human rights abuses that include “intimidation, extortion, robbery, kidnapping” and other violent acts. Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan and Ahmed al-Jubouri, two former government officials, were designated for corruption, smuggling, misusing funds and other charges. All four were designated under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The European Union threatened more sanctions on Venezuela if no “concrete results” are reached during the upcoming negotiations scheduled between Venezuelan leader Juan Guaido and opposition-party leader Nicolas Maduro, the EU Council said in a July 16 press release. The council said it welcomes the negotiations, which are being brokered by Norway, and said the two sides must reach a “genuine engagement” that results in “internationally monitored elections.” If not, “the EU will further expand its targeted measures,” the council said.
The European Union is looking at options for potential Turkey sanctions “in light of Turkey’s continued drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean,” the European Council said in a July 15 press release. The council directed the European Commission to “continue work on options for targeted measures” directed at Turkey. The announcement stems from Turkey’s “illegal” drilling west and northeast of Cyprus despite the EU’s “repeated calls” to stop, the council said.
The European Union Council renewed sanctions against North Korea, including asset freezes on entities and people who contribute to the country’s ballistic missile programs and sanctions evasions, the council said in a July 15 press release. The council said its sanctions against North Korea are the toughest against any country and will be lifted if there is a “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.” The sanctions regime targets 57 people and nine entities.
The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Bah Ag Moussa for acting on behalf of a West African terrorist group and its leader, Treasury said in a July 16 press release. OFAC designated Moussa as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist for working with the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), which was so designated in 2018, Treasury said.
Days before Turkey followed through on purchases of Russian S-400 missile parts, a State Department official said there would be “consequences” if Turkey followed through on the deal and warned the country would be at risk of U.S. sanctions. R. Clarke Cooper, assistant secretary of State for political-military affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 10 that the Trump administration has “made it very clear” to Turkey that the purchase would likely prompt sanctions. Turkey completed the purchase on July 13, according to a Reuters report. A House resolution passed in June also called for the U.S. to impose sanctions on Turkey if it completed the purchase.
Britain is considering approving new powers for enforcement of financial sanctions violations, according to a July 15 post on the EU Sanctions blog. The considerations, outlined in the United Kingdom’s 2019-2022 Economic Crime Plan, published in July, could give “private sector supervisors” power to “take enforcement action where there are deficiencies in sanctions implementation,” the post said. The U.K. will also investigate “whether powers to block listings on national security grounds would be appropriate,” the post said.