Australia imposed sanctions on an additional 67 Russians for their roles in Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Australia's foreign affairs ministry said April 7. The sanctions, which were levied after reports of alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine, target senior Russian military and government officials. Australia said it now has sanctioned nearly 600 people and entities related to the Russian war in Ukraine (see 2203180006, 2203080008 and 2204050019).
With the administration considering sanctions on Kaspersky Labs, companies should be assessing not only their own use of the Russia-based software vendor’s cybersecurity offerings, but also use by their vendors and suppliers of Kaspersky’s products, law firm Crowell said on April 6.
The Bureau of Industry and Security on April 7 suspended the export privileges of three Russian airlines for violating U.S. export controls against Russia. The agency issued 180-day temporary denial orders for Aeroflot, Azur Air and UTair, barring the airlines from participating in transactions with items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, BIS said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security expanded its export license requirements for Russia and Belarus to cover all items on the Commerce Control List, the agency said in an April 8 notice, further widening restrictions that previously only applied to categories 3-9 of the CCL. The agency correspondingly revised its recently created Russia/Belarus foreign direct product rule, which will now apply to all items on the CCL, BIS said. The agency also revised its License Exception Aircraft, vessels and spacecraft (AVS) to limit its availability for certain Belarus-related aircraft. The changes are effective April 8.
The U.K. updated its General License pertaining to Russian banks to allow payments relating to insolvency proceedings with VTB's British subsidiary. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation said that under the license, anyone until April 3, 2023, "may make, receive or process any payments, or take any other action, in connection with any Insolvency Proceedings relating to the UK Subsidiary, whether prior to or after the commencement of such proceedings, including, without limitation, an insolvency practitioner for the purposes of his or her functions under or in connection with Insolvency Proceedings."
The EU dropped two entries from its Syria sanctions regime following a November General Court decision annulling their listings. Per the April 4 European Council decision, Bashar Mohammad Assi and Khaldoun Al-Zoubi no longer remain subject to EU restrictions.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on April 6 issued an updated table of Chinese companies listed on the Nasdaq, the New York Stock Exchange and the NYSE American. As of March 31, 261 Chinese companies were listed on those U.S. exchanges. The list was last updated in May (see 2105130021).
The Bureau of Industry and Security is looking for new candidates to serve on each of its six technical advisory committees, a notice said. The TAC members -- selected from industry, academia and government -- will help advise the Commerce Department on export controls and may serve terms of not more than four consecutive years. Applicants should send a resume and other required information to Yvette.Springer@bis.doc.gov by June 6.
Konstantin Malofeyev, a Russian oligarch, was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York with violating U.S. sanctions in his efforts to establish television networks in Russia and Greece and acquire a television network in Bulgaria, DOJ announced April 6. Malofeyev is charged with conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions and violations of U.S. sanctions relating to the hiring of U.S. citizen and television producer Jack Hanick to set up the networks. Malofeyev allegedly transferred a $10 million investment from a U.S. bank to a business associate in Greece in violation of the U.S. asset freeze on the oligarch.
A Burma sanctions bill called Burma Unified Through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2021, or BURMA Act, passed the House by a voice vote April 6.