The U.K. dropped nine entries from its cyber sanctions regime, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced in a July 5 notice. OFSI removed eight individuals -- Aleyona Chuguleva, Darya Dugina, Yuriy Fedin, Denis Gafner, Yevgeniy Glotov, Valeriya Kalabayeva, Aelita Mamakova and Mikhail Sinelin -- and one entity, United World International, from the consolidated list. All remain subject to an asset freeze under the Russia regime.
Eleven non-EU European countries implemented restrictions against ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities to mirror the EU's recent sanctions action, the European Council announced July 5. Last month, the council added three individuals and one entity to the list of sanctioned parties under the ISIL/al-Qaida restrictions. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Armenia and Georgia aligned themselves with the decision.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned an international network that used a network of front companies to cover the delivery and sale of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil and petrochemical products from Iranian companies to East Asia, according to a July 6 press release. Two individuals, 13 entities, and two vessels were added to the Specially Designated Nationals list, according to OFAC's July 6 notice. The action follows an earlier action by OFAC on June 16, which designated members of an international sanctions-evasion network supporting Iranian petrochemical sales (see 2206160030). “While the U.S. is committed to achieving an agreement with Iran that seeks a mutual return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we will continue to use all our authorities to enforce sanctions on the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals,” Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said.
Although China hasn’t yet implemented its anti-foreign-sanctions law in Hong Kong, it may only be a matter of time, said Jessica Bartlett, the global head of financial crime legal at Barclays, speaking during a July 6 event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She said multinational companies are continuing to face a “challenging” sanctions compliance environment in Hong Kong, which could grow more difficult depending on how the government decides whether and if to penalize firms for complying with foreign sanctions.
Hagir Elawad, former official at the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Washington, D.C., joined Shumaker Advisors as senior vice president of federal affairs, the firm announced. At Shumaker, Elawad will take on a lead advocacy position, "managing government affairs teams and driving public policy solutions," the firm said. During her time in the UAE Embassy, Elawad worked on public affairs issues, including export controls, sanctions, defense, aviation and renewable energy, among other things, Shumaker said.
Thomas Krueger, former director of strategic trade and nonproliferation on the National Security Council, has joined Akin Gump as a senior policy adviser, according to a LinkedIn post from firm partner Kevin Wolf. Krueger worked for a decade at the State Department, most recently as a senior policy adviser, before joining the NSC, where he served from 2020 to June 2022. Per his new firm, Krueger advises clients on compliance with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations, along with transfer policies for emerging technologies.
The U.K. released three general licenses pertaining to its Russian sanctions regime. The first, "Wind Down of Positions Involving Rosbank," allows until July 30 an individual or entity to wind down any transactions to which it is a party involving Rosbank or a subsidiary. Such action includes closing out of any positions, repaying loans, withdrawing deposits and closing accounts. The next license, "Wind down positions involving National Bank of Belarus," allows an individual to give financial services for winding down any "derivatives, repurchase, and reverse purchase transactions" entered into before July 5 with the National Bank of Belarus, Ministry of Finance of Belarus and those individuals listed under the Belarus sanctions regime. The last license, "Transferable securities, money market instruments, loans and credit arrangements," permits a seven-day wind down period for category C loans and transferable securities and money market instruments under the Belarus sanctions regime.
The U.K. on July 4 amended its Russian sanctions guidance page on prohibitions on insurance and reinsurance services for aviation and space goods to an individual or entity connected with Russia or for use in Russia. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said the "provision of insurance and reinsurance services in respect of a satellite where the only nexus with Russia is that it is orbiting over Russia, or broadcasting to Russia (and where the insurance and reinsurance services will not be provided to a person connected with Russia), would likewise not come within the scope of these prohibitions."
The Bureau of Industry and Security posted the presentation materials from panels during its annual update conference last week. The panels included update sessions on export enforcement (see 2207010010, 2207010025 and 2206300069), recently implemented export controls (see 2207010015), the foreign direct product rule (see 2206300005) and the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls’ regulations (see 2206300029).
The U.N. Security Council last week amended one entry on its sanctions list. The UNSC updated the information for Pak Chun Il, who served as the North Korean ambassador to Egypt, to say he "concluded his tour of duty" and left Egypt Nov. 15, 2016.