Niloufar Bahadorifar, a U.S. citizen originally from Iran, was sentenced to four years in prison for conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran by providing financial services to the Iranian government and for structuring cash deposits, DOJ announced. The Irvine, California, resident was found guilty of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation this week added two people and one entity to its Myanmar sanctions list: Khin Phyu Win, director of Shoon Energy; Tun Min Latt, director of Star Sapphire Trading Co.; and Shoon Energy. The U.S. sanctioned Tun Min Latt and Star Sapphire last week (see 2303240024).
The EU added eight people and one entity to its Iran sanctions regime, the European Council announced. The individuals are members of the judiciary responsible for issuing death sentences in "unfair trials and for the torturing of convicts," conservative clerics, a member of the Iranian Parliament, spokespeople for the Parliament's cultural commission and the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil, and an official with Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The listed entity is the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution. The sanctions on Iran now cover 204 people and 34 entities.
The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added two entries to its Iran (Human Rights) sanctions regime and one name to its Syria restrictions. Seyyed Mohammed Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani and the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil were both added to the Iran sanctions regime. Golpayegani is the head of the listed entity. The entry for Morteza Barati was amended. OFSI also designated Amjad Youssef, a military officer, under its Syria sanctions list.
The EU added 32 individuals and two entities to its Iran sanctions regime in response to ongoing human rights violations, the European Council announced. The listed individuals include the Iranian minister of culture and Islamic guidance, education minister, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps deputy commander and spokesperson, founders of Ravin Academy, members of the Iranian parliament backing the violent crackdown, and members of the police, judiciary and prison systems, the council said. The listed entities are the Law Enforcement Forces Cooperation Foundation and the Police Science and Social Studies Institute. The restrictions now cover 196 individuals and 33 entities.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., introduced two bills last week that could impose new sanctions and export controls against Iran. The Deterring Iranian Support for Russia in Ukraine and Pre-empting Terrorism Act (Disrupt Act) would require sanctions on Iranian entities that provide military support for Russia’s war in Ukraine and would prevent the president from lifting sanctions on those entities unless Iran “ends its support” of Russia. The Sanctioning Transfers and Outbound Products to Iran Act (Stop Iran Act) would require the Commerce Department to increase export restrictions on Iranian entities that support terrorist activities and would better prevent U.S.-made products and components, including semiconductors, from being used to support Iranian terrorism, Lankford said.
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Australia this week announced new human rights sanctions against people and entities in Myanmar and Iran. The Myanmar sanctions target 16 members of the Myanmar military regime and two military-controlled entities in response to their part in the overthrow of the country’s government in 2021 (see 2102110020). The Iran sanctions target four Iranian people and four entities involved in the production and supply of drones to Russia for Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Australia’s announcements were made alongside similar sanctions imposed by the U.S. this week (see 2301310020 and 2301310007).
The EU added 18 people and 19 entities to its Iran sanctions regime in response to the violent crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman arrested by the morality police who died in custody, the European Council announced. The listed individuals include government representatives, parliament members, media figures and high-ranking members of the Iranian security forces. The sanctions on Iran now cover 164 individuals and 31 entities and amount to an asset freeze and travel ban for those on the list, along with trade sanctions and export controls.
Various European countries outside the EU aligned themselves with a string of six recent sanctions decisions made by the European Council, the EC said in Jan. 16 news releases.