The Office of Foreign Assets Control took a number of significant sanctions actions over the last week across multiple programs:
Russia-related Sanctions
- OFAC Designates Russian Entities and Individual Supporting North Korea: OFAC on Sept. 19 designated a network of five entities and one individual—based in Russia and in the Russia-occupied Georgian region of South Ossetia—that have enabled and supported ongoing efforts to establish illicit payment mechanisms between Russia and North Korea. OFAC designated MRB Bank; TSMRBank, OOO and it’s Vice President Dmitry Yuryevich Nikulin; Russian Financial Corporation Bank JSC; Stroytreyd LLC; and Timer Bank, AO. OFAC’s action holds accountable parties that have assisted North Korean and Russian sanctions evasion and demonstrates Treasury’s commitment to exposing and disrupting networks that facilitate the funding of the North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs and support Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. OFAC also published updated identifiers for North Korea’s Korea Kwangson Banking Corporation, including DPRK Border Trade Settlement Bank, Border Trade Settlement Bank, and BTSB. KKBC uses these aliases to operate in Russia. Read more.
Cyber-related Sanctions
- OFAC Sanctions Individuals and Entity Associated with Intellexa Consortium: OFAC on Sept. 16 sanctioned five individuals and one entity associated with the Intellexa Consortium for their role in developing, operating, and distributing commercial spyware technology. These designations complement concerted U.S. government actions against commercial spyware vendors, including previous sanctions against individuals and entities associated with the Intellexa Consortium; the Department of Commerce’s addition of commercial spyware vendors to the Entity List; and the Department of State’s visa ban policy targeting those who misuse or profit from the misuse of commercial spyware, subsequently exercised on thirteen individuals. Read more.
Iran-related Sanctions
- OFAC Designates Iranian Officials for Human Rights Violations: OFAC on Sept. 18 designated 12 individuals in connection with the Iranian regime’s ongoing, violent repression of the Iranian people, both within Iran’s borders and abroad. These designations target members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), officials of Iran’s Prisons Organization, and those responsible for lethal operations overseas. OFAC’s action is being taken in coordination with Canada and Australia, which have also unveiled new sanctions against those connected to human rights abuses in Iran. Read more.
- OFAC Sanctions Georgian Officials: OFAC on Sept. 16 sanctioned two Georgian government officials associated with brutal crackdowns on peaceful protestors and political opponents, and two private Georgian citizens that are responsible for, or complicit in violently suppressing the exercise of the freedom of peaceful assembly of Georgians engaged in the democratic process. All four individuals are being designated pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse around the world. Read more.
