The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation recently issued new FAQs about its Russia-related general license that applies to certain transactions to cover the costs of arbitration. New FAQs 177-183 address the circumstances under which companies should use the license and what payments are specifically covered. They also clarify that there needs to be a U.K. "nexus" for the payment to be affected by the country's sanctions, state that legal advice and representation in dispute resolution is included in the U.K.'s definition of “Legal Services,” and more.
Uzbekistan national and resident Saodat Narzieva sued the Office of Foreign Assets Control and OFAC Director Bradley Smith Dec. 2, saying the agency mistakenly included her in an April 2023 round of Russia-related sanctions, causing her "substantial" harm.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Dec. 29 that sanctions should be “strictly enforced” to address Turkey’s reported role in helping Russia's oil industry evade Western sanctions. Blumenthal also said that arms sales to Turkey, such as the F-35 fighter, should be “selectively blocked” until Ankara changes its behavior.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control removed several people from its sanctions list this week, including Alexandra Buriko, former chief financial officer of Russian state-owned Sberbank, who resigned from the bank after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. She sued the Treasury Department last year to be removed from the Specially Designated Nationals List, and that lawsuit remains pending.
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Polish authorities arrested four Polish citizens and one Russian citizen for allegedly illegally importing Russian and Belarusian birch plywood in violation of sanctions, the country's Ministry of Finance said Dec. 29, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry said the plywood was imported into Poland "under false declarations of country of origin -- Kazakhstan and Turkey -- to allow for legal trade within the" EU.
The Council of the European Union on Dec. 22 renewed until July 31 its sanctions on Russia for its war in Ukraine. The measures consist of a broad array of sectoral restrictions, including sanctions on "trade, finance, energy, technology and dual-use goods, industry, transport and luxury goods," the council said. They also include a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and petroleum products from Russia to the EU, the removal of many Russian banks from SWIFT and the suspension of broadcasting activities in the EU of various "Kremlin-backed disinformation outlets."
The Council of the European Union sanctioned two members of Russia's judiciary for committing serious human rights violations and undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia, the council announced Dec. 22. It said Dmitry Gordeev, a judge of the Moscow City Court, has "repeatedly issued politically motivated rulings against opposition figures and human rights defenders," and Lyudmila Balandina, a prosecutor, has pursued cases against critics of the Russian regime.
Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced a resolution Dec. 17 urging the Trump administration to seize “shadow fleet” vessels that transport sanctioned Russian oil.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week, in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.