Monthly Archives: March 2024

OFAC sanctions the Zimbabwean President who supported Russia

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The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on the Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa,10 individuals and three entities for their involvement in corruption or serious human rights.

At the same time, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order (E.O.) terminating the national emergency with respect to Zimbabwe and revoking the E.O.s that have authorized Zimbabwe-specific sanctions. As a result, the economic sanctions administered by OFAC pursuant to the Zimbabwe sanctions program are no longer in effect.

“The changes we are making today are intended to make clear what has always been true: our sanctions are not intended to target the people of Zimbabwe”

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo

Emmerson Mnangagwa is famous not only his actions in Zimbabwe. It is known that he supports Russia and its military actions in Ukraine.

Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vladimir Putin / Photo: kremlin.ru

“Zimbabwe is a reliable ally of Russia in Africa, where we have developed strong, reliable and friendly ties even in those years when the Zimbabwean people fought for independence,” Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in 2023, when the President of Zimbabwe visited Russia.

Canada bans Russian officials and diamonds

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Canada has banned Russian officials and diamonds after the death of Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader.

At first, Six Russian officials were sanctioned under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations.

“This increased pressure on the Russian government sends a clear signal that human rights must be unequivocally respected”

Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

The names of the individuals added to the sanctions list are:
1. Vadim Konstantinovich KALININ
2. Alexandr Vladimirovich VARAPAEV
3. Igor Borisovich RAKITIN
4. Marina Andreyevna BOBEK
5. Yekaterina Sergeyevna FROLOVA
6. Kirill Sergeevich NIKIFOROV

Additionally, the Canadian government decided to impose additional import restrictions on Russian diamonds. Currently, Russia is the world’s largest rough diamond producer, with its production valued at more than approximately $4.7 billion in 2022. G7 countries represent 70% of the world diamond market.

The Japanese government has imposed new sanctions on Russia

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The Japanese government imposed new sanctions on Russia, expanding the existing sanctions. 12 individuals and 36 entities have been added to the sanction list.

In addition, the government announced a prohibition on exports to 29 specific entities in the Russian Federation, as well as a ban on imports of unprocessed diamonds from the Russian Federation (including diamonds that are processed outside the Russian Federation).

These individuals and entities have been added to the list:

  • Zamid Chalayev, Commander of the Second Special Purpose Police Regiment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the Chechen Republic
  • Irina Ageeva, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Kaluga Region
  • Irina Cherkasova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Rostov Region
  • Galina Pyatykh, Advisor of the Governor of Belgorod Region; Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Belgorod Region
  • Mansur Soltaev, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Chechen Republic
  • Yevgeniy Ditrikh, Director-general of JSC GTLK
  • Aleksander Kochkin, Executive Director of the Tekhmash
  • Artem Uss, Owner of Sibugol LCC
  • Konstantin FEDORENKO, Director of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution Artek International Children’s Center
  • Vladimir KOVALENKO, Chief of Staff of the Regional Branch of the All-Russian Young Army Military Patriotic Social Movement (Yunarmiya) in the city of Sevastopol
  • Vladimir NECHAEV, Self-proclaimed“Acting rector of the Sevastopol State University”
  • Joint Stock Company State Transportation Leasing Company
  • Federal State Unitary Enterprise Atomflot
  • JSC Omsk Transport Machine Factory Omsktransmash
  • Open Joint Stock Company Balashikhinskiy Liteyno Mekhanicheskiy Zavod
  • Joint Stock Company Dubnensky Machine Building Plant named after N.P. Fedorov
  • Joint Stock Company Echelon Union for Science and Development
  • Joint Stock Company Experimental Design Bureau Novator
  • JSC Tinkoff Bank
  • JSC Kalashnikov Concern, a.k.a., the following eight aliases: Concern Kalashnikov; Izhevskiy Mashinostroitel’nyi Zavod OAO; Izhmash R&D Center; JSC NPO Izhmash; NPO Izhmash OAO; OJSC Concern Kalashnikov; OJSC Izhmash; and Scientific Production Association Izhmash Joint Stock Company.
  • Joint-Stock Company Concern Almaz-Antey, a.k.a., the following five aliases: Joint-Stock Company Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defence Corporation; Almaz-Antey Corp; Almaz-Antey Defense Corporation; Almaz-Antey JSC; and Otkrytoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Kontsern PVO Almaz Antei.
  • OAO NPO Bazalt, a.k.a., the following four aliases: Federal State Unitary Enterprise State Research and Production Enterprise Bazalt; Federal State Unitary Enterprise, State Research and Production Enterprise Bazalt; FSUE SRPE Bazalt; and State Research and Production Enterprise Bazalt.
  • Open Joint Stock Company Aviadvigatel, a.k.a., the following two aliases: AVID; and UEC-Aviadvigatel JSC.
  • United Shipbuilding Corporation, a.k.a., the following four aliases: Obedinennaya Sudostroitelnaya Korporatsiya OAO; OJSC United Shipbuilding Corporation; United Shipbuilding Corporation Joint Stock Company; and OSK OAO.
  • Uralvagonzavod, a.k.a., the following eight aliases: Nauchno-Proizvodstvennaya Korporatsiya Uralvagonzavod OAO; NPK Uralvagonzavod; NPK Uralvagonzavod OAO; OJSC Research and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod; Research and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod; Research and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod OAO; Uralvagonzavod Corporation; and UVZ.
  • Joint Stock Company Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics, a.k.a., the following seven aliases: AO TsNIIAG; AO Tsentralny Nauchno-Issledovatelski Institut Avtomatiki I Gidravliki; Central Scientific Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics; Federal Research and Production Center Central Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics; CNIIAG; JSC Central Scientific Research Institute of Automation and Hydraulics; and TsNIIAG.
  • Joint Stock Company Concern Avrora Scientific and Production Association, a.k.a., the following eight aliases: AO Kontsern Nauchno-Proizvodstvennoe Obedinenie Avrora; AO Kontsern NPO Avrora; Avrora Systems; Avrora JSC; Concern Avrora Scientific Production Association; Concern Research and Production Association Avrora; NPO Avrora; and OJSC Concern NPO Avrora.
  • Joint Stock Company Zavod Elecon, a.k.a., the following five aliases: AO Zavod Elekon; Elecon Plant; Elecon; JSC Zavod Elecon; and OAO Zavod Elecon.
  • Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design, JSC, a.k.a., the following four aliases: Otkrytoe Aktsionernoe Obshchestvo Nauchno Issledovatelski Institute Priborostroeniya Imeni V.V. Tikhomirova；JSC NIIP; -Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design; and -JSC V. Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design.
  • Joint Stock Company Scientific Production Association Impulse, a.k.a., the following four aliases: AO Nauchno-Proizvodstvennoe Obedinenie Impuls; AO NPO Impuls; JSC SPA Impulse; and NPO Impuls.
  • Joint Stock Company Scientific Production Association Russian Basic Information Technologies, a.k.a., the following six aliases: AO Nauchno Proizvodstvennoye Obedinenie Russkie Bazoviye Informatsionniye Tekhnologii; AO NPO Rusbitekh; JSC Research Production Association RusBITech; RPA RusBITech; RusBITech; and RusBITekh.
  • Joint Stock Company Ratep, a.k.a., the following four aliases: AO RATEP; JSC RATEP; OAO RATEP; and RATEP.
  • Joint Stock Company Precision Engineering Design Bureau named after A.E. Nudelman, a.k.a., the following six aliases: AO Konstruktorskoe Byuro Tochnogo Mashinostroeniya imeni A.E. Nudelmana; AO KB Tochmash im. A.E. Nudelmana; JSC Precision Machine Building Design Bureau Nudelman; KB Tochmash; Nudelman Precision Engineering Design Bureau; and Tochmash.
  • Joint Stock Company Angstrem.
  • Joint Stock Company Experimental Design Bureau Novator, a.k.a., the following two aliases:
    Novator Design Bureau; and JSC OKB Novator.
  • Joint Stock Company Nevskoe Design Bureau, a.k.a, the following ten aliases: AO Nevskoe PKB; AO Nevskoye Proyektno-Konstruktorskoye Byuro; Joint Public Stock Company Nevskoe Design Bureau; JSC Nevskoe PKB; JSC Nevskoye Project and Design Bureau; Nevskoe Design and Construction Office; Nevskoe Design Bureau; Nevskoe Design Bureau JPSC; NPKB; and Neva Design Bureau.
  • Neva Electronica.
  • ZALA Aero Group
  • Grant Instrument.
  • Streloy.
  • Aeroscan Limited Liability Company
  • OOO Alfakomponent.
  • BIC-Inform LLC.
  • Spel LLC.
  • Spetstehnotreyd LLC.
  • STC Orion LLC.
  • Technical Center Windeq LLC.

The Australian Government sanctioned three Russian officials

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The Australian Government has imposed additional targeted financial sanctions on three Russian officials linked to the prison where Alexei Navalny died.

“At IK-3, Mr Navalny was held in sub-zero temperatures and reports suggest he was repeatedly subjected to stretches in punishment cells. After his death, the Russian Government withheld Navalny’s remains from his mother for over a week,” reported the Australian Government.

These Russian officials were added on a sanction list:

  • Valeriy Gennadevich BOYARINEV. First Deputy Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia; Tax ID No.: 190113308460
  • Igor Borisovich RAKITIN. Regional Head of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia (FSIN) in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area; Tax ID No.: 100602094834
  • Vadim Konstantinovich KALININ. Chief Warden of Penal Colony IK-3; Tax ID No.: 663401241613

Russian national pleaded guilty to charges of smuggling goods from the US

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Russian national Maxim Marchenko, who was arrested in September 2023, pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and smuggling goods from the US.

According to court documents, Marchenko and two co-conspirators were involved in an illicit network that supplied military-grade microelectronics to end customers in Russia . They operated shell companies based in Hong Kong, including Alice Components Co. Ltd., Neway Technologies Limited and RG Solutions Limited.

Marchenko admitted in court that he illicitly sought to procure U.S.-manufactured, military grade microelectronics, including OLED micro-displays.

Marchenko pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of smuggling goods from the United States which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29 in Manhattan.