Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act Annual Report, 13795-13799 [2024-03532]
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 37 / Friday, February 23, 2024 / Notices
Issued on 02/19/2024.
Physical Loan Application Deadline
Date: 04/19/2024.
Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan
Application Deadline Date: 11/19/2024.
DATES:
Visit the MySBA Loan
Portal at https://lending.sba.gov to
apply for a disaster assistance loan.
ADDRESSES:
Notice is
hereby given that as a result of the
President’s major disaster declaration on
02/19/2024, applications for disaster
loans may be submitted online using the
MySBA Loan Portal https://
lending.sba.gov or other locally
announced locations. Please contact the
SBA disaster assistance customer
service center by email at
disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by
phone at 1–800–659–2955 for further
assistance.
The following areas have been
determined to be adversely affected by
the disaster:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Primary Counties (Physical Damage and
Economic Injury Loans): San Diego.
Contiguous Counties (Economic Injury
Loans Only):
California: Imperial, Orange,
Riverside
The Interest Rates are:
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Percent
5.375
2.688
8.000
4.000
3.250
3.250
4.000
3.250
The number assigned to this disaster
for physical damage is 201706 and for
economic injury is 201710.
17:19 Feb 22, 2024
[FR Doc. 2024–03753 Filed 2–22–24; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Alan Escobar, Office of Disaster
Recovery & Resilience, U.S. Small
Business Administration, 409 3rd Street
SW, Suite 6050, Washington, DC 20416,
(202) 205–6734.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
Francisco Sa´nchez, Jr.,
Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster
Recovery & Resilience.
BILLING CODE 8026–09–P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For Physical Damage:
Homeowners with Credit Available Elsewhere ......................
Homeowners without Credit
Available Elsewhere ..............
Businesses with Credit Available Elsewhere ......................
Businesses
without
Credit
Available Elsewhere ..............
Non-Profit Organizations with
Credit Available Elsewhere ...
Non-Profit Organizations without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
For Economic Injury:
Business and Small Agricultural
Cooperatives without Credit
Available Elsewhere ..............
Non-Profit Organizations without Credit Available Elsewhere .....................................
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number 59008)
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[Public Notice: 12335]
Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act Annual Report
ACTION:
Notice.
This notice contains the text
of the report required by the Global
Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act, as submitted by the
Secretary of State.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Self, Email: SelfAH@state.gov,
Phone: (202) 412 3586.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On
January 25, 2024, the Under Secretary of
State for Political Affairs approved the
following report pursuant to the Global
Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act (Pub. L. 114–328,
title XII, subtitle F) (‘‘the Act’’), which
is implemented and built upon by
Executive Order 13818 of December 20,
2017, ‘‘Executive Order Blocking the
Property of Persons Involved in Serious
Human Rights Abuse or Corruption’’
(E.O. 13818). The text of the report
follows:
Pursuant to section 1264 of the Act,
and in accordance with E.O. 13818, the
Secretary of State, in consultation with
the Secretary of the Treasury, submits
this report to detail the Administration’s
implementation of the Act in the 2023
reporting period.
In 2023, the United States took
significant action under the Global
Magnitsky sanctions program (‘‘Global
Magnitsky’’), sanctioning 78 foreign
persons over the course of the year. As
of December 2023, the United States has
sanctioned over 650 foreign persons
(individuals and entities) pursuant to
E.O. 13818 since 2017. This sanctions
program, which targets those connected
to serious human rights abuse, corrupt
actors, and their enablers, represents the
best of the United States’ values and
enduring commitment to promoting
respect for human rights and combatting
corruption around the world. Through
Global Magnitsky, the United States has
sought to disrupt and deter serious
human rights abuse and corruption
abroad; promote accountability for those
who act with impunity; and maintain
U.S. global leadership on antiSUMMARY:
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corruption and human rights promotion
in coordination with U.S. partners,
allies, and civil society where
appropriate. The Administration can
and will continue to utilize this tool to
promote respect for human rights and
the rule of law globally.
As the President outlined in the
National Security Strategy (NSS), the
United States will stand with our allies
and partners to combat new threats
confronting our democracies. The
Administration will take special aim at
countering corruption, which corrodes
democracy from the inside, erodes
government stability, impedes economic
development, and is increasingly
weaponized by authoritarian states to
undermine democratic institutions. The
United States also seeks to promote
respect for human rights; address
discrimination, inequity, and
marginalization in all its forms; and
stand up for democracy, the rule of law,
and human dignity. On all these issues,
the United States works to forge a
common approach with likeminded
countries. Through implementation of
the Global Magnitsky sanctions
program, the Administration is taking
action to execute the President’s vision
as described in the NSS.
Global Magnitsky, paired with
cooperation with likeminded
international partners, directly
addresses the objectives outlined in the
2021 United States Strategy on
Countering Corruption (‘‘the strategy’’),
which underscores the fight against
corruption as a national security
priority. The strategy directs U.S.
government action to: strengthen efforts
to hold accountable corrupt individuals
and their facilitators, including by,
where appropriate, identifying, freezing,
and recovering stolen assets through
sanctions or other authorities; bolster
the capacity of domestic and
international institutions and
multilateral bodies focused on
establishing global anti-corruption
norms; and work with international
partners to counteract strategic
corruption by foreign leaders, foreign
state-owned or affiliated enterprises,
and other foreign actors and their
domestic collaborators.
The strategy spotlights the Global
Magnitsky sanctions program among the
U.S. Government’s foreign policy tools
for promoting global accountability for
serious human rights abuse and
corruption through the imposition of
financial sanctions on foreign persons.
Actions taken in 2023 continue to
demonstrate the reach, flexibility, and
broad scope of Global Magnitsky. The
United States responded to serious
human rights abuse and corruption
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globally, deterring and disrupting some
of the most egregious behavior by
foreign actors. Actions taken in 2023
targeted, among others, corrupt
politicians undermining the rule of law
in Paraguay, Guatemala, Bulgaria, and
Haiti and serious human rights abuse
involving Russia’s treatment of human
rights defender, prominent opposition
leader, author, and historian Vladimir
Kara-Murza as well as abductions and
sexual violence committed by Haitian
gangs and their leaders. Actions against
Paraguayan and former Afghan
government officials highlighted the
U.S. Government’s ongoing effort to
disrupt pervasive corruption and illicit
financial networks in their most
entrenched forms and at the highest
level of public office.
When considering financial sanctions
under Global Magnitsky, the United
States prioritizes actions that are
expected to produce a tangible and
significant impact on corrupt actors,
serious human rights abusers, and their
affiliates, and prompt changes in
behavior or disrupt the activities of
malign actors. Sanctions under Global
Magnitsky aim to target systemic
corruption and human rights abuse,
including the networks that engage in,
facilitate, or perpetuate sustained
patterns of such illicit behavior. Persons
sanctioned pursuant to this authority
appear on the Office of Foreign Assets
Control’s (OFAC’s) List of Specially
Designated Nationals and Blocked
Persons (SDN List). As a result of these
actions, all property and interests in
property of the sanctioned persons that
are in the United States or in the
possession or control of U.S. persons are
blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
Unless authorized by a general or
specific license issued by OFAC or
otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations
generally prohibit all transactions by
U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the
United States that involve any property
or interests in property of designated or
otherwise blocked persons. The
prohibitions include the making of any
contribution or provision of funds,
goods, or services by, to, or for the
benefit of any blocked person or the
receipt of any contribution or provision
of funds, goods, or services from any
such person.
In 2023, the Secretary of the Treasury,
in consultation with the Secretary of
State and the Attorney General, imposed
economic sanctions on the following 78
foreign persons (individuals and
entities) pursuant to E.O. 13818:
Afghanistan
• Fariduddin Mahmood: Mahmood
was designated on December 8, 2023,
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for being a foreign person who is
responsible for, or complicit in—or has
directly or indirectly engaged in—
serious human rights abuses involving
the restriction of access to all secondary
education for women and girls in
Afghanistan, solely on the basis of
gender, which interferes with their
enjoyment of equal protection.
Mahmood is a member of the Taliban’s
so-called ‘‘cabinet’’ that made decisions
to close education centers and schools
to women and girls after the sixth grade.
He serves as the so-called ‘‘head of the
Afghanistan Academy of Sciences’’ and
supported the education-related bans on
women and girls.
• Khalid Hanafi: Hanafi was
designated on December 8, 2023, for
being a foreign person who is, or has
been, a leader or official of an entity,
including any government entity, that
has engaged in, or whose members have
engaged in, serious human rights abuse
relating to the leader’s or official’s
tenure. Hanafi serves as the Taliban’s
so-called ‘‘Minister’’ for the so-called
‘‘Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue
and Prevention of Vice’’ (MPVPV).
Since August 2021, members of the socalled MPVPV have engaged in serious
human rights abuse, including killings,
abductions, whippings, and beatings.
Members of the so-called MPVPV have
assaulted people protesting the
restrictions on women’s activity,
including access to education.
• Mir Rahman Rahmani and Ajmal
Rahmani: Mir Rahmani and Ajmal
Rahmani, collectively ‘‘the Rahmanis,’’
were designated on December 11, 2023,
for being government officials, or
persons acting for or on behalf of such
an official, who are responsible for or
complicit in, or have directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. The Rahmanis engaged in
corruption related to government
contracts involving the import and
delivery of fuel, contract inflation,
import tax fraud, fuel theft, and
parliamentary corruption.
Æ On December 11, 2023, 41 entities
were designated for being owned or
controlled by, or having acted or
purported to act for or on behalf of,
directly or indirectly, Ajmal Rahmani:
b 21 German companies: Ozean
Immobilien Projektentwicklung
Verwaltungs- GmbH, Ozean
Immobilien Management GmbH & Co.
KG, Ozean Immobilien
Projektentwicklung GmbH & Co. KG,
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Pyramaxia Immoprojekt GmbH & Co.
KG, Pyramaxia Real Estate
Development GmbH & Co. KG,
Pyramaxia Real Estate GmbH & Co.
KG, Ozean Group GmbH, Ozean
Baustoffe GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean
Horizont Baumaschinen &
Bauequipment GmbH & Co. KG,
Ozean Horizont Bauwerke GmbH,
Ozean Horizont Erdarbeiten GmbH &
Co. KG, Ozean Horizont
Objektplanung GmbH & Co. KG,
Ozean Horizont Projektentwicklungs
GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean Horizont
Spezialtiefbau GmbH & Co. KG, RG
Immoprojekt GmbH & Co. KG, RG
Real Estate Development GmbH & Co.
KG, RG Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG,
NAI Energy Europe GmbH & Co. KG,
NAI Energy Europe Verwaltungs
GmbH, NAI Europe Energy GmbH &
Co. KG, and NAI Management GmbH
b Eight Cypriot companies: Pyramaxia
Limited, RG Holdings Limited, NAI
Logistics Limited, Buoyant Holdings
Limited, Ocean Europe CY Limited,
DCH. Dream Creators Holdings LTD,
Riseonic Holdings LTD, and ZEM
Holdings LTD
b Six Emirati companies: RG Group
FZE, The Fern Limited, Ascent
Holdings LTD, Orbit International
FZE, Ocean Estate Company Limited,
and Rahmani Group International JLT
b Two Afghan companies: Fidelis
Logistic and Supply Services and
Secure Movement Logistics Services
b Two Austrian companies: Ocean
Estate GmbH and Ocean Properties
GmbH
b One Dutch company: NAI Logistics
B.V.
b One Bulgarian company: Lego
Investments EOOD
Æ Additionally, the following two
German companies were designated for
being owned or controlled by, or for
having acted or purported to act for or
on behalf of, directly or indirectly,
Ocean Properties GmbH: Ozean
Development Real Estate GmbH & Co.
KG and Ozean Real Estate GmbH & Co.
KG.
Æ The following Dutch company was
designated for being owned or
controlled by, or for having acted or
purported to act for or on behalf of,
directly or indirectly, RZ Group FZE:
AlphaOne Pharmaceutical B.V.
Bulgaria
• Rumen Stoyanov Ovcharov:
Ovcharov was designated on February
10, 2023, for being a foreign person who
is a current or former government
official, or a person acting for or on
behalf of such an official, who is
responsible for or complicit in, or has
directly or indirectly engaged in,
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corruption, including the
misappropriation of state assets, the
expropriation of private assets for
personal gain, corruption related to
government contracts or the extraction
of natural resources, or bribery.
Ovcharov is a former Minister of Energy
and Economy, Bulgarian member of
parliament (MP), and current member of
the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP)
National Council. Ovcharov repeatedly
engaged in corrupt energy contracts
with Russian energy companies,
receiving bribes and other kickbacks in
exchange for fixed-price contracts for
Russian gas and nuclear fuel and
support contracts at the Kozloduy
Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP). Russianbased nuclear fuel contracts negotiated
by Ovcharov proxies overcharged KNPP
up to Ö50 million, resulting in tens of
millions in ill-gotten profits for
participants.
• Aleksandar Hristov Nikolov:
Nikolov was designated on February 10,
2023, for being a foreign person who is
a current or former government official,
or a person acting for or on behalf of
such an official, who is responsible for
or complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Nikolov is a former CEO and
deputy director of KNPP. Nikolov,
Ovcharov, and Ivan Kirov Genov
coordinated personal commissions by
corruptly diverting service contracts for
KNPP to their own business interests,
avoiding scrutiny from Bulgarian
officials through offshore management.
Nikolov and Genov agreed to accept five
million Bulgarian leva in bribes from
foreign nuclear power executives in
exchange for guarantees of KNPP
contracts.
• Ivan Kirov Genov: Genov was
designated on February 10, 2023, for
being a foreign person who is a current
or former government official who is
responsible for or complicit in, or who
has directly or indirectly engaged in
corruption, including the
misappropriation of state assets, the
expropriation of private assets for
personal gain, corruption related to
government contracts or the extraction
of natural resources, or bribery. Genov
is a former CEO of KNPP and was a
Bulgarian MP with the BSP from 2017
to 2019. Genov, Nikolov, and Ovcharov
coordinated personal commissions by
corruptly diverting service contracts for
KNPP to their own business interests,
avoiding scrutiny from Bulgarian
officials through offshore management.
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Genov and Nikolov agreed to accept five
million Bulgarian leva in bribes from
foreign nuclear power executives in
exchange for guarantees of KNPP
contracts. Even after exiting his position
as Executive Director of KNPP, Genov
solicited three million Bulgarian leva in
bribes from Bulgarian business
executives to facilitate the
reconsideration of KNPP contract
awards to benefit their companies.
• Nikolay Simeonov Malinov:
Malinov was designated on February 10,
2023, for being a foreign person who is
a current or former government official,
or a person acting for or on behalf of
such an official, who is responsible for
or complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Malinov is a former MP from
the BSP and leader of the pro-Russian
lobby group Russophiles National
Movement. After he was arrested and
charged with espionage for spying for
Russian-backed interests and barred
from international travel in September
2019, Malinov bribed a Bulgarian judge
to allow him to travel to Russia to
personally receive the Friendship Medal
from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Inter Trade 2021 EOOD, MS
Konsult 2016 EOOD, Russophiles
National Movement, Russophiles for the
Revival of the Fatherland Political Party:
These entities were designated on
February 10, 2023, for being owned or
controlled by, directly or indirectly,
Malinov.
• Vladislov Ivanov Goranov: Goranov
was designated on February 10, 2023,
for being a foreign person who is a
current or former government official, or
a person acting for or on behalf of such
an official, who is responsible for or
complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Goranov served as a Bulgarian
MP and was Minister of Finance in the
second and third administrations led by
the Citizens for European Development
of Bulgaria (GERB) political party until
2020. As Minister of Finance, Goranov
participated in a corruption scheme that
resulted in tens of millions of euros paid
to Bulgarian officials in exchange for
favorable legislation for interested
parties involved in the gambling
industry.
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• Trilemma Consulting Ltd EOOD:
This entity was designated on February
10, 2023, for being owned or controlled
by, directly or indirectly, Goranov.
Trilemma Consulting Ltd EOOD is a
sole proprietorship consulting company.
Guatemala
• Luis Miguel Martinez Morales:
Martinez was designated on December
1, 2023, for being a foreign person who
is a current or former government
official, or person acting for or on behalf
of such an official, who is responsible
for or complicit in, or who has directly
or indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Martinez is the former head of
the now-defunct Centro de Gobierno.
Martinez has influenced the government
contracts process to benefit himself and
close associates. Martinez colluded with
other Guatemalan government officials
to illegally award contracts to favored
bidders outside of Guatecompras, the
Guatemalan government’s formal
procurement system. Martinez and his
conspirators used antiquated
procurement law to forego the bidding
process and secure government
contracts for companies in which he has
a financial interest.
Haiti
• Gary Bodeau: Bodeau was
designated on April 5, 2023, for being a
foreign person who is a current or
former government official, or a person
acting for or on behalf of such an
official, who is responsible for or
complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Bodeau is the former President
of the Haitian Chamber of Deputies.
Bodeau was involved in several corrupt
schemes wherein he engaged in efforts
to influence the outcome of Haitian
political appointments, including
facilitating and soliciting bribes worth
millions of dollars. In 2018, Bodeau
paid Haitian officials to secure their
votes while seeking ministerial position
appointments. He also solicited a large
bribery payment worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars from senior
government officials in exchange for his
political support. In 2019, Bodeau
offered to deliver a successful vote in
the Chamber of Deputies for a
prospective ministerial appointee in
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exchange for millions of dollars paid out
through individual payments to
members of the Chamber of Deputies.
• Johnson Andre´, Renel Destina,
Vitel’homme Innocent, and Wilson
Joseph: Andre´, Destina, Innocent, and
Joseph were each designated on
December 8, 2023 for being a foreign
person who is responsible for or
complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, serious human
rights abuse and for being a foreign
person who is or has been a leader or
official of an entity, including any
government entity, that has engaged in,
or whose members have engaged in,
serious human rights abuse relating to
the leader’s or official’s tenure in their
roles as leaders of criminal gangs in
Haiti. Respectively, Andre´, Destina,
Innocent, and Joseph are the leaders of
four criminal gangs: 5 Segond, Grand
Ravine, Kraze Barye´, and 400 Mawozo.
Innocent and Joseph have both been
indicted by the U.S. Department of
Justice for their role in the armed
kidnapping of U.S. citizens in Haiti.
Andre´ and his gang have been identified
by survivors as being directly
responsible for 1,035 documented cases
of sexual violence in 2022 alone.
Destina, who is a key ally of Andre´, has
committed kidnappings as well as
killings, robberies, rapes, looting and
burning of residences, and continuous
attacks against Haitian police officers.
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Liberia
• Jefferson Koijee: Koijee was
designated on December 8, 2023, for
being a foreign person who is
responsible for or complicit in, or who
has directly or indirectly engaged in,
serious human rights abuse and for
being a foreign person who is a current
or former government official, or a
person acting for or on behalf of such an
official, who is responsible for or
complicit in, or who has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Koijee and his supporters have
been involved in violence in connection
with: an opposition rally in July 2022,
students attending a memorial service
for former Liberian president Amos
Sawyer in March 2022, an anti-rape
protest in August 2020, a student
graduation ceremony in December 2019,
and an opposition rally in November
2018. Koijee has also engaged in corrupt
acts, including bribery and
misappropriation of state assets for use
by private political movements and
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pressuring anti-corruption investigators
to halt corruption investigations.
Paraguay
• Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara: Cartes
was designated on January 26, 2023, for
being a foreign person who is a current
or former government official, or a
person acting for or on behalf of such an
official, who is responsible for or
complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in corruption,
including the misappropriation of state
assets, the expropriation of private
assets for personal gain, corruption
related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Former Paraguayan president
Cartes engaged in corruption before,
during, and after his term as President
of Paraguay. Cartes paid party members
up to $10,000 each to support his
candidacy ahead of the 2013 elections.
While President of Paraguay, Cartes
continued his corrupt schemes,
including making cash payments to
officials in exchange for their loyalty
and support. He maintained his grip on
policymaking through monthly cash
bribes paid out to loyal legislators;
payments ranged from $5,000 to $50,000
per member. Cartes continued to
influence legislative activities after
leaving office, targeting political
opponents, and bribing legislators to
direct votes in his interest, with top
supporters receiving as much as $50,000
monthly.
• Hugo Adalberto Velazquez Moreno:
Velazquez was designated on January
26, 2023, for being a foreign person who
is a current or former government
official, or a person acting for or on
behalf of such an official, who has
engaged in, corruption, including the
misappropriation of state assets, the
expropriation of private assets for
personal gain, corruption related to
government contracts or the extraction
of natural resources, or bribery. ThenParaguayan Vice President Velazquez
interfered in legal processes to protect
himself and criminal associates from
criminal investigations, including by
bribing and threatening those who
would expose his criminal activity.
• Tabacos USA Inc., Bebidas USA
Inc., Dominicana Acquisition S.A.,
Frigorifico Chajha S.A.E.: These entities
were designated on January 26, 2023, for
being owned or controlled by Cartes.
• Tabacalera Del Este S.A. (Tabesa):
On March 31, 2023, OFAC identified
Tabesa as an entity that is owned,
directly or indirectly, 50 percent or
more by Cartes and added Tabesa to the
SDN List.
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People’s Republic of China
• Gao Qi: Gao was designated on
December 8, 2023, for being a foreign
person who is or has been a leader or
official of the Xinjiang Public Security
Bureau (XPSB), an entity, including any
government entity, that has engaged in,
or whose members have engaged in,
serious human rights abuse relating to
his tenure. OFAC designated the XPSB
on July 9, 2020, for being a foreign
person responsible for, or complicit in,
or that has directly or indirectly engaged
in, serious human rights abuse. Gao was
concurrently sanctioned under the
Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act.
• Hu Lianhe: Hu was designated on
December 8, 2023, for being a foreign
person who is or has been a leader or
official of an entity, including any
government entity, that has engaged in,
or whose members have engaged in, any
of the activities described in subsection
(ii)(A) of Section 1(a) of E.O. 13818. Hu
has served as the Deputy Office Director
for the Xinjiang Work Coordination
Small Group of the Central Committee
since 2012. The XWCSG engaged in
direct and close involvement in the
PRC’s March 2017 Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region ‘‘DeExtremification Regulation,’’ and its
October 2018 revision, which provided
the framework for Xinjiang’s ‘‘deextremification’’ through re-education
campaign.
Russia
• Andrei Andreevich Zadachin:
Zadachin was designated on March 3,
2023, for being a foreign person who is
responsible for or complicit in, or has
directly or indirectly engaged in, serious
human rights abuse. Zadachin is a
Special Investigator assigned to the
Chief Investigative Directorate of the
Investigative Committee of the Russian
Federation. Zadachin ordered that a
criminal case be initiated against
Vladimir Kara-Murza based on his
speech before the Arizona House of
Representatives. Zadachin requested
that detention be ordered as a pre-trial
restraint for Kara-Murza and defended
this request in court.
• Danila Yurievich Mikheev: Mikheev
was designated on March 3, 2023, or
being a foreign person who has
materially assisted, sponsored, or
provided financial, material, or
technological support for, or goods or
services to or in support of, serious
human rights abuse that is conducted by
a foreign person. Mikheev is a Russian
Federation national who served as an
expert witness for the Russian
government on the case against KaraMurza, reviewing video of Kara-Murza’s
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 37 / Friday, February 23, 2024 / Notices
speech and providing a report that
served as part of the basis on which
Elena Anatolievna Lenskaya ordered
Kara-Murza be held.
• Elena Anatolievna Lenskaya:
Lenskaya was designated on March 3,
2023, for being a foreign person who is
responsible for or complicit in, or has
directly or indirectly engaged in, serious
human rights abuse. Lenskaya is a judge
of the Basmannyy District Court in
Moscow who oversaw Kara-Murza’s pretrial detention hearing. Lenskaya
ordered that Kara-Murza be held in pretrial detention on charges based on his
exercising the right to freedom of
expression.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Uganda
• Johnson Byabashaija: Byabashaija
was designated on December 8, 2023,
for being a foreign person who is or has
been a leader or official of an entity,
including any government entity, that
has engaged in, or whose members have
engaged in, serious human rights abuse
relating to the leader’s or official’s
tenure. Byabashaija has served as
Commissioner General of the Uganda
Prisons Service (UPS) since 2005.
During that period, members of the UPS
have engaged in serious human rights
abuse against prisoners held within UPS
facilities. Prisoners have reported being
tortured and beaten by UPS staff and by
fellow prisoners at the direction of UPS
staff. Members of vulnerable groups,
including government critics and
members of Uganda’s LGBTQI+
community, have been beaten.
Visa Restrictions Imposed
Persons designated pursuant to E.O.
13818 are subject to the entry
restrictions articulated in section 2,
unless an exception applies. Section 2
provides that the entry of persons
designated under section 1 of the order
is suspended pursuant to Presidential
Proclamation 8693.
In 2023, the Department took steps to
impose visa restrictions, when
appropriate, on foreign persons
involved in certain human rights
violations and significant corruption
pursuant to other authorities, including
Presidential Proclamations 7750 and
8697, and Section 7031(c) of the
Department of State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act. The Department
will continue to identify individuals
subject to those authorities as
appropriate, including but not limited to
individuals designated under Global
Magnitsky. In addition, the Department
continues to implement all grounds of
inadmissibility in the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA), including INA
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:19 Feb 22, 2024
Jkt 262001
section 212(a)(3)(E) which renders
applicants ineligible for visas if a
consular officer has reason to believe
that they participated in acts of
genocide, torture, or extrajudicial
killings.
Efforts To Encourage Governments of
Other Countries To Impose Sanctions
Similar to Those Authorized by the Act
The United States recognizes that our
sanctions are most impactful when
implemented in coordination with our
foreign partners. In 2023, the
Administration continued its successful
outreach campaign to international
partners regarding the expansion and
use of domestic and multilateral
anticorruption and human rights
sanctions regimes. Over the course of
the reporting period, the Administration
coordinated with likeminded partners
in pursuing coordinated actions against
human rights abusers and corrupt
actors, particularly in the run up to
annual International Anti-Corruption
Day and Human Rights Day. The United
States took its Human Rights Day
actions in concert with the United
Kingdom and Canada, each of which
took similar measures to deter human
rights abuse globally. Of note, in
coordination with partners on the
United Nations Security Council, the
United States co-sponsored the
designation by the Security Council of
four Haitian gang leaders, consistent
with the Presidential Memorandum on
Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and
underscoring the Administration’s
commitment to recognizing abhorrent
abuse and promoting accountability for
serious human rights abusers.
Though not concurrent with U.S.
actions, the United Kingdom, Canada,
European Union (EU), and Australia all
took action against individuals in Russia
connected to serious human rights
abuse, namely the arbitrary detention of
Russian pro-democracy activist
Vladimir Kara-Murza. Additionally, the
United States designated Gary Bodeau
in April 2023, an individual previously
designated by Canada under its Special
Economic Measure for Haiti authority in
November 2022. On the same day that
the United States announced a second
round of corruption sanctions in
Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, together
with U.S. government officials in Sofia,
announced its designation of three
corrupt Bulgarian actors for serious
corruption and abuse of public
institution funds under its Global AntiCorruption and Global Human Rights
regimes. The UK designations
reinforced prior U.S. designations of
these individuals under Global
Magnitsky on June 2, 2021: Vassil
PO 00000
Frm 00121
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
13799
Kroumov Bojkov, Delyan Slavchev
Peevski, and Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov.
Similarly, in May 2023, the EU
designated seven Moldovan individuals
for undermining or threatening the
sovereignty of Moldova, including
Vladimir Plahotniuc, who was
previously designated by the United
States in October 2022 and by the
United Kingdom in December 2022. In
May 2023, Canada designated seven
individuals, including Plahotniuc. In
October 2023, Canada imposed
sanctions on nine additional individuals
associated with Plahotniuc. On
December 8, 2023, the United States
designated two Afghan individuals,
including Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s
so-called ‘‘Minister’’ for the so-called
‘‘Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue
and Prevention of Vice’’ (MPVPV) for
serious human rights abuse related to
the repression of women and girls,
including through the restriction of
access to secondary education for
women and girls in Afghanistan solely
on the basis of gender. The EU took
similar action under its Global Human
Rights Sanctions Regime on July 20,
2023, imposing restrictive measures on
two of the Taliban’s so-called ‘‘acting
Ministers’’—including Hanafi—for their
role in ‘‘depriving Afghan girls and
women of their right to education,
access to justice and equal treatment
between men and women.’’
The United States is closely following
the potential development of an EU
anti-corruption sanctions authority and
stands ready to support EU efforts by
sharing insights and offering technical
support, including regarding evidence
collection, addressing legal challenges,
and evidentiary requirements. The
Administration will continue to seek
out additional allies and partners,
including civil society, to leverage all
tools at our disposal to deny access to
the United States’ and international
financial systems and deny entry to the
United States to all those who engage in
serious human rights abuse and
corruption.
Andrew H. Self,
Foreign Affairs Officer, Bureau of Economic
and Business Affairs, Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2024–03532 Filed 2–22–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710–AE–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 37 (Friday, February 23, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13795-13799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03532]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 12335]
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act Annual Report
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice contains the text of the report required by the
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, as submitted by the
Secretary of State.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew Self, Email: [email protected],
Phone: (202) 412 3586.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 25, 2024, the Under Secretary of
State for Political Affairs approved the following report pursuant to
the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Pub. L. 114-328,
title XII, subtitle F) (``the Act''), which is implemented and built
upon by Executive Order 13818 of December 20, 2017, ``Executive Order
Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse
or Corruption'' (E.O. 13818). The text of the report follows:
Pursuant to section 1264 of the Act, and in accordance with E.O.
13818, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of
the Treasury, submits this report to detail the Administration's
implementation of the Act in the 2023 reporting period.
In 2023, the United States took significant action under the Global
Magnitsky sanctions program (``Global Magnitsky''), sanctioning 78
foreign persons over the course of the year. As of December 2023, the
United States has sanctioned over 650 foreign persons (individuals and
entities) pursuant to E.O. 13818 since 2017. This sanctions program,
which targets those connected to serious human rights abuse, corrupt
actors, and their enablers, represents the best of the United States'
values and enduring commitment to promoting respect for human rights
and combatting corruption around the world. Through Global Magnitsky,
the United States has sought to disrupt and deter serious human rights
abuse and corruption abroad; promote accountability for those who act
with impunity; and maintain U.S. global leadership on anti-corruption
and human rights promotion in coordination with U.S. partners, allies,
and civil society where appropriate. The Administration can and will
continue to utilize this tool to promote respect for human rights and
the rule of law globally.
As the President outlined in the National Security Strategy (NSS),
the United States will stand with our allies and partners to combat new
threats confronting our democracies. The Administration will take
special aim at countering corruption, which corrodes democracy from the
inside, erodes government stability, impedes economic development, and
is increasingly weaponized by authoritarian states to undermine
democratic institutions. The United States also seeks to promote
respect for human rights; address discrimination, inequity, and
marginalization in all its forms; and stand up for democracy, the rule
of law, and human dignity. On all these issues, the United States works
to forge a common approach with likeminded countries. Through
implementation of the Global Magnitsky sanctions program, the
Administration is taking action to execute the President's vision as
described in the NSS.
Global Magnitsky, paired with cooperation with likeminded
international partners, directly addresses the objectives outlined in
the 2021 United States Strategy on Countering Corruption (``the
strategy''), which underscores the fight against corruption as a
national security priority. The strategy directs U.S. government action
to: strengthen efforts to hold accountable corrupt individuals and
their facilitators, including by, where appropriate, identifying,
freezing, and recovering stolen assets through sanctions or other
authorities; bolster the capacity of domestic and international
institutions and multilateral bodies focused on establishing global
anti-corruption norms; and work with international partners to
counteract strategic corruption by foreign leaders, foreign state-owned
or affiliated enterprises, and other foreign actors and their domestic
collaborators.
The strategy spotlights the Global Magnitsky sanctions program
among the U.S. Government's foreign policy tools for promoting global
accountability for serious human rights abuse and corruption through
the imposition of financial sanctions on foreign persons.
Actions taken in 2023 continue to demonstrate the reach,
flexibility, and broad scope of Global Magnitsky. The United States
responded to serious human rights abuse and corruption
[[Page 13796]]
globally, deterring and disrupting some of the most egregious behavior
by foreign actors. Actions taken in 2023 targeted, among others,
corrupt politicians undermining the rule of law in Paraguay, Guatemala,
Bulgaria, and Haiti and serious human rights abuse involving Russia's
treatment of human rights defender, prominent opposition leader,
author, and historian Vladimir Kara-Murza as well as abductions and
sexual violence committed by Haitian gangs and their leaders. Actions
against Paraguayan and former Afghan government officials highlighted
the U.S. Government's ongoing effort to disrupt pervasive corruption
and illicit financial networks in their most entrenched forms and at
the highest level of public office.
When considering financial sanctions under Global Magnitsky, the
United States prioritizes actions that are expected to produce a
tangible and significant impact on corrupt actors, serious human rights
abusers, and their affiliates, and prompt changes in behavior or
disrupt the activities of malign actors. Sanctions under Global
Magnitsky aim to target systemic corruption and human rights abuse,
including the networks that engage in, facilitate, or perpetuate
sustained patterns of such illicit behavior. Persons sanctioned
pursuant to this authority appear on the Office of Foreign Assets
Control's (OFAC's) List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked
Persons (SDN List). As a result of these actions, all property and
interests in property of the sanctioned persons that are in the United
States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and
must be reported to OFAC. Unless authorized by a general or specific
license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC's regulations
generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or
transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in
property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions
include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or
services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the
receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services
from any such person.
In 2023, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the
Secretary of State and the Attorney General, imposed economic sanctions
on the following 78 foreign persons (individuals and entities) pursuant
to E.O. 13818:
Afghanistan
Fariduddin Mahmood: Mahmood was designated on December 8,
2023, for being a foreign person who is responsible for, or complicit
in--or has directly or indirectly engaged in--serious human rights
abuses involving the restriction of access to all secondary education
for women and girls in Afghanistan, solely on the basis of gender,
which interferes with their enjoyment of equal protection. Mahmood is a
member of the Taliban's so-called ``cabinet'' that made decisions to
close education centers and schools to women and girls after the sixth
grade. He serves as the so-called ``head of the Afghanistan Academy of
Sciences'' and supported the education-related bans on women and girls.
Khalid Hanafi: Hanafi was designated on December 8, 2023,
for being a foreign person who is, or has been, a leader or official of
an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or
whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse relating to
the leader's or official's tenure. Hanafi serves as the Taliban's so-
called ``Minister'' for the so-called ``Ministry for the Propagation of
Virtue and Prevention of Vice'' (MPVPV). Since August 2021, members of
the so-called MPVPV have engaged in serious human rights abuse,
including killings, abductions, whippings, and beatings. Members of the
so-called MPVPV have assaulted people protesting the restrictions on
women's activity, including access to education.
Mir Rahman Rahmani and Ajmal Rahmani: Mir Rahmani and
Ajmal Rahmani, collectively ``the Rahmanis,'' were designated on
December 11, 2023, for being government officials, or persons acting
for or on behalf of such an official, who are responsible for or
complicit in, or have directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption,
including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of
private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government
contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery. The
Rahmanis engaged in corruption related to government contracts
involving the import and delivery of fuel, contract inflation, import
tax fraud, fuel theft, and parliamentary corruption.
[cir] On December 11, 2023, 41 entities were designated for being
owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on
behalf of, directly or indirectly, Ajmal Rahmani:
[squ] 21 German companies: Ozean Immobilien Projektentwicklung
Verwaltungs- GmbH, Ozean Immobilien Management GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean
Immobilien Projektentwicklung GmbH & Co. KG, Pyramaxia Immoprojekt GmbH
& Co. KG, Pyramaxia Real Estate Development GmbH & Co. KG, Pyramaxia
Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean Group GmbH, Ozean Baustoffe GmbH & Co.
KG, Ozean Horizont Baumaschinen & Bauequipment GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean
Horizont Bauwerke GmbH, Ozean Horizont Erdarbeiten GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean
Horizont Objektplanung GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean Horizont
Projektentwicklungs GmbH & Co. KG, Ozean Horizont Spezialtiefbau GmbH &
Co. KG, RG Immoprojekt GmbH & Co. KG, RG Real Estate Development GmbH &
Co. KG, RG Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, NAI Energy Europe GmbH & Co. KG,
NAI Energy Europe Verwaltungs GmbH, NAI Europe Energy GmbH & Co. KG,
and NAI Management GmbH
[squ] Eight Cypriot companies: Pyramaxia Limited, RG Holdings Limited,
NAI Logistics Limited, Buoyant Holdings Limited, Ocean Europe CY
Limited, DCH. Dream Creators Holdings LTD, Riseonic Holdings LTD, and
ZEM Holdings LTD
[squ] Six Emirati companies: RG Group FZE, The Fern Limited, Ascent
Holdings LTD, Orbit International FZE, Ocean Estate Company Limited,
and Rahmani Group International JLT
[squ] Two Afghan companies: Fidelis Logistic and Supply Services and
Secure Movement Logistics Services
[squ] Two Austrian companies: Ocean Estate GmbH and Ocean Properties
GmbH
[squ] One Dutch company: NAI Logistics B.V.
[squ] One Bulgarian company: Lego Investments EOOD
[cir] Additionally, the following two German companies were
designated for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or
purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Ocean
Properties GmbH: Ozean Development Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG and Ozean
Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG.
[cir] The following Dutch company was designated for being owned or
controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf
of, directly or indirectly, RZ Group FZE: AlphaOne Pharmaceutical B.V.
Bulgaria
Rumen Stoyanov Ovcharov: Ovcharov was designated on
February 10, 2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or
former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such
an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in,
[[Page 13797]]
corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the
expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related
to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Ovcharov is a former Minister of Energy and Economy, Bulgarian
member of parliament (MP), and current member of the Bulgarian
Socialist Party (BSP) National Council. Ovcharov repeatedly engaged in
corrupt energy contracts with Russian energy companies, receiving
bribes and other kickbacks in exchange for fixed-price contracts for
Russian gas and nuclear fuel and support contracts at the Kozloduy
Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP). Russian-based nuclear fuel contracts
negotiated by Ovcharov proxies overcharged KNPP up to [euro]50 million,
resulting in tens of millions in ill-gotten profits for participants.
Aleksandar Hristov Nikolov: Nikolov was designated on
February 10, 2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or
former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such
an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of
state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain,
corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural
resources, or bribery. Nikolov is a former CEO and deputy director of
KNPP. Nikolov, Ovcharov, and Ivan Kirov Genov coordinated personal
commissions by corruptly diverting service contracts for KNPP to their
own business interests, avoiding scrutiny from Bulgarian officials
through offshore management. Nikolov and Genov agreed to accept five
million Bulgarian leva in bribes from foreign nuclear power executives
in exchange for guarantees of KNPP contracts.
Ivan Kirov Genov: Genov was designated on February 10,
2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or former government
official who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or
indirectly engaged in corruption, including the misappropriation of
state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain,
corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural
resources, or bribery. Genov is a former CEO of KNPP and was a
Bulgarian MP with the BSP from 2017 to 2019. Genov, Nikolov, and
Ovcharov coordinated personal commissions by corruptly diverting
service contracts for KNPP to their own business interests, avoiding
scrutiny from Bulgarian officials through offshore management. Genov
and Nikolov agreed to accept five million Bulgarian leva in bribes from
foreign nuclear power executives in exchange for guarantees of KNPP
contracts. Even after exiting his position as Executive Director of
KNPP, Genov solicited three million Bulgarian leva in bribes from
Bulgarian business executives to facilitate the reconsideration of KNPP
contract awards to benefit their companies.
Nikolay Simeonov Malinov: Malinov was designated on
February 10, 2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or
former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such
an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of
state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain,
corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural
resources, or bribery. Malinov is a former MP from the BSP and leader
of the pro-Russian lobby group Russophiles National Movement. After he
was arrested and charged with espionage for spying for Russian-backed
interests and barred from international travel in September 2019,
Malinov bribed a Bulgarian judge to allow him to travel to Russia to
personally receive the Friendship Medal from Russian President Vladimir
Putin.
Inter Trade 2021 EOOD, MS Konsult 2016 EOOD, Russophiles
National Movement, Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland
Political Party: These entities were designated on February 10, 2023,
for being owned or controlled by, directly or indirectly, Malinov.
Vladislov Ivanov Goranov: Goranov was designated on
February 10, 2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or
former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such
an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of
state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain,
corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural
resources, or bribery. Goranov served as a Bulgarian MP and was
Minister of Finance in the second and third administrations led by the
Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) political party
until 2020. As Minister of Finance, Goranov participated in a
corruption scheme that resulted in tens of millions of euros paid to
Bulgarian officials in exchange for favorable legislation for
interested parties involved in the gambling industry.
Trilemma Consulting Ltd EOOD: This entity was designated
on February 10, 2023, for being owned or controlled by, directly or
indirectly, Goranov. Trilemma Consulting Ltd EOOD is a sole
proprietorship consulting company.
Guatemala
Luis Miguel Martinez Morales: Martinez was designated on
December 1, 2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or former
government official, or person acting for or on behalf of such an
official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly
or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of
state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain,
corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural
resources, or bribery. Martinez is the former head of the now-defunct
Centro de Gobierno. Martinez has influenced the government contracts
process to benefit himself and close associates. Martinez colluded with
other Guatemalan government officials to illegally award contracts to
favored bidders outside of Guatecompras, the Guatemalan government's
formal procurement system. Martinez and his conspirators used
antiquated procurement law to forego the bidding process and secure
government contracts for companies in which he has a financial
interest.
Haiti
Gary Bodeau: Bodeau was designated on April 5, 2023, for
being a foreign person who is a current or former government official,
or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is
responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged
in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the
expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related
to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or
bribery. Bodeau is the former President of the Haitian Chamber of
Deputies. Bodeau was involved in several corrupt schemes wherein he
engaged in efforts to influence the outcome of Haitian political
appointments, including facilitating and soliciting bribes worth
millions of dollars. In 2018, Bodeau paid Haitian officials to secure
their votes while seeking ministerial position appointments. He also
solicited a large bribery payment worth hundreds of thousands of
dollars from senior government officials in exchange for his political
support. In 2019, Bodeau offered to deliver a successful vote in the
Chamber of Deputies for a prospective ministerial appointee in
[[Page 13798]]
exchange for millions of dollars paid out through individual payments
to members of the Chamber of Deputies.
Johnson Andr[eacute], Renel Destina, Vitel'homme Innocent,
and Wilson Joseph: Andr[eacute], Destina, Innocent, and Joseph were
each designated on December 8, 2023 for being a foreign person who is
responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged
in, serious human rights abuse and for being a foreign person who is or
has been a leader or official of an entity, including any government
entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious
human rights abuse relating to the leader's or official's tenure in
their roles as leaders of criminal gangs in Haiti. Respectively,
Andr[eacute], Destina, Innocent, and Joseph are the leaders of four
criminal gangs: 5 Segond, Grand Ravine, Kraze Bary[eacute], and 400
Mawozo. Innocent and Joseph have both been indicted by the U.S.
Department of Justice for their role in the armed kidnapping of U.S.
citizens in Haiti. Andr[eacute] and his gang have been identified by
survivors as being directly responsible for 1,035 documented cases of
sexual violence in 2022 alone. Destina, who is a key ally of
Andr[eacute], has committed kidnappings as well as killings, robberies,
rapes, looting and burning of residences, and continuous attacks
against Haitian police officers.
Liberia
Jefferson Koijee: Koijee was designated on December 8,
2023, for being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit
in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights
abuse and for being a foreign person who is a current or former
government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an
official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly
or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of
state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain,
corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural
resources, or bribery. Koijee and his supporters have been involved in
violence in connection with: an opposition rally in July 2022, students
attending a memorial service for former Liberian president Amos Sawyer
in March 2022, an anti-rape protest in August 2020, a student
graduation ceremony in December 2019, and an opposition rally in
November 2018. Koijee has also engaged in corrupt acts, including
bribery and misappropriation of state assets for use by private
political movements and pressuring anti-corruption investigators to
halt corruption investigations.
Paraguay
Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara: Cartes was designated on
January 26, 2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or former
government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an
official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or
indirectly engaged in corruption, including the misappropriation of
state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain,
corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural
resources, or bribery. Former Paraguayan president Cartes engaged in
corruption before, during, and after his term as President of Paraguay.
Cartes paid party members up to $10,000 each to support his candidacy
ahead of the 2013 elections. While President of Paraguay, Cartes
continued his corrupt schemes, including making cash payments to
officials in exchange for their loyalty and support. He maintained his
grip on policymaking through monthly cash bribes paid out to loyal
legislators; payments ranged from $5,000 to $50,000 per member. Cartes
continued to influence legislative activities after leaving office,
targeting political opponents, and bribing legislators to direct votes
in his interest, with top supporters receiving as much as $50,000
monthly.
Hugo Adalberto Velazquez Moreno: Velazquez was designated
on January 26, 2023, for being a foreign person who is a current or
former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such
an official, who has engaged in, corruption, including the
misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets
for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the
extraction of natural resources, or bribery. Then-Paraguayan Vice
President Velazquez interfered in legal processes to protect himself
and criminal associates from criminal investigations, including by
bribing and threatening those who would expose his criminal activity.
Tabacos USA Inc., Bebidas USA Inc., Dominicana Acquisition
S.A., Frigorifico Chajha S.A.E.: These entities were designated on
January 26, 2023, for being owned or controlled by Cartes.
Tabacalera Del Este S.A. (Tabesa): On March 31, 2023, OFAC
identified Tabesa as an entity that is owned, directly or indirectly,
50 percent or more by Cartes and added Tabesa to the SDN List.
People's Republic of China
Gao Qi: Gao was designated on December 8, 2023, for being
a foreign person who is or has been a leader or official of the
Xinjiang Public Security Bureau (XPSB), an entity, including any
government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged
in, serious human rights abuse relating to his tenure. OFAC designated
the XPSB on July 9, 2020, for being a foreign person responsible for,
or complicit in, or that has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious
human rights abuse. Gao was concurrently sanctioned under the Uyghur
Human Rights Policy Act.
Hu Lianhe: Hu was designated on December 8, 2023, for
being a foreign person who is or has been a leader or official of an
entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose
members have engaged in, any of the activities described in subsection
(ii)(A) of Section 1(a) of E.O. 13818. Hu has served as the Deputy
Office Director for the Xinjiang Work Coordination Small Group of the
Central Committee since 2012. The XWCSG engaged in direct and close
involvement in the PRC's March 2017 Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
``De-Extremification Regulation,'' and its October 2018 revision, which
provided the framework for Xinjiang's ``de-extremification'' through
re-education campaign.
Russia
Andrei Andreevich Zadachin: Zadachin was designated on
March 3, 2023, for being a foreign person who is responsible for or
complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human
rights abuse. Zadachin is a Special Investigator assigned to the Chief
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian
Federation. Zadachin ordered that a criminal case be initiated against
Vladimir Kara-Murza based on his speech before the Arizona House of
Representatives. Zadachin requested that detention be ordered as a pre-
trial restraint for Kara-Murza and defended this request in court.
Danila Yurievich Mikheev: Mikheev was designated on March
3, 2023, or being a foreign person who has materially assisted,
sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support
for, or goods or services to or in support of, serious human rights
abuse that is conducted by a foreign person. Mikheev is a Russian
Federation national who served as an expert witness for the Russian
government on the case against Kara-Murza, reviewing video of Kara-
Murza's
[[Page 13799]]
speech and providing a report that served as part of the basis on which
Elena Anatolievna Lenskaya ordered Kara-Murza be held.
Elena Anatolievna Lenskaya: Lenskaya was designated on
March 3, 2023, for being a foreign person who is responsible for or
complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human
rights abuse. Lenskaya is a judge of the Basmannyy District Court in
Moscow who oversaw Kara-Murza's pre-trial detention hearing. Lenskaya
ordered that Kara-Murza be held in pre-trial detention on charges based
on his exercising the right to freedom of expression.
Uganda
Johnson Byabashaija: Byabashaija was designated on
December 8, 2023, for being a foreign person who is or has been a
leader or official of an entity, including any government entity, that
has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights
abuse relating to the leader's or official's tenure. Byabashaija has
served as Commissioner General of the Uganda Prisons Service (UPS)
since 2005. During that period, members of the UPS have engaged in
serious human rights abuse against prisoners held within UPS
facilities. Prisoners have reported being tortured and beaten by UPS
staff and by fellow prisoners at the direction of UPS staff. Members of
vulnerable groups, including government critics and members of Uganda's
LGBTQI+ community, have been beaten.
Visa Restrictions Imposed
Persons designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 are subject to the entry
restrictions articulated in section 2, unless an exception applies.
Section 2 provides that the entry of persons designated under section 1
of the order is suspended pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 8693.
In 2023, the Department took steps to impose visa restrictions,
when appropriate, on foreign persons involved in certain human rights
violations and significant corruption pursuant to other authorities,
including Presidential Proclamations 7750 and 8697, and Section 7031(c)
of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Appropriations Act. The Department will continue to identify
individuals subject to those authorities as appropriate, including but
not limited to individuals designated under Global Magnitsky. In
addition, the Department continues to implement all grounds of
inadmissibility in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), including
INA section 212(a)(3)(E) which renders applicants ineligible for visas
if a consular officer has reason to believe that they participated in
acts of genocide, torture, or extrajudicial killings.
Efforts To Encourage Governments of Other Countries To Impose Sanctions
Similar to Those Authorized by the Act
The United States recognizes that our sanctions are most impactful
when implemented in coordination with our foreign partners. In 2023,
the Administration continued its successful outreach campaign to
international partners regarding the expansion and use of domestic and
multilateral anticorruption and human rights sanctions regimes. Over
the course of the reporting period, the Administration coordinated with
likeminded partners in pursuing coordinated actions against human
rights abusers and corrupt actors, particularly in the run up to annual
International Anti-Corruption Day and Human Rights Day. The United
States took its Human Rights Day actions in concert with the United
Kingdom and Canada, each of which took similar measures to deter human
rights abuse globally. Of note, in coordination with partners on the
United Nations Security Council, the United States co-sponsored the
designation by the Security Council of four Haitian gang leaders,
consistent with the Presidential Memorandum on Conflict-Related Sexual
Violence and underscoring the Administration's commitment to
recognizing abhorrent abuse and promoting accountability for serious
human rights abusers.
Though not concurrent with U.S. actions, the United Kingdom,
Canada, European Union (EU), and Australia all took action against
individuals in Russia connected to serious human rights abuse, namely
the arbitrary detention of Russian pro-democracy activist Vladimir
Kara-Murza. Additionally, the United States designated Gary Bodeau in
April 2023, an individual previously designated by Canada under its
Special Economic Measure for Haiti authority in November 2022. On the
same day that the United States announced a second round of corruption
sanctions in Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, together with U.S.
government officials in Sofia, announced its designation of three
corrupt Bulgarian actors for serious corruption and abuse of public
institution funds under its Global Anti-Corruption and Global Human
Rights regimes. The UK designations reinforced prior U.S. designations
of these individuals under Global Magnitsky on June 2, 2021: Vassil
Kroumov Bojkov, Delyan Slavchev Peevski, and Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov.
Similarly, in May 2023, the EU designated seven Moldovan individuals
for undermining or threatening the sovereignty of Moldova, including
Vladimir Plahotniuc, who was previously designated by the United States
in October 2022 and by the United Kingdom in December 2022. In May
2023, Canada designated seven individuals, including Plahotniuc. In
October 2023, Canada imposed sanctions on nine additional individuals
associated with Plahotniuc. On December 8, 2023, the United States
designated two Afghan individuals, including Khalid Hanafi, the
Taliban's so-called ``Minister'' for the so-called ``Ministry for the
Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice'' (MPVPV) for serious
human rights abuse related to the repression of women and girls,
including through the restriction of access to secondary education for
women and girls in Afghanistan solely on the basis of gender. The EU
took similar action under its Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime on
July 20, 2023, imposing restrictive measures on two of the Taliban's
so-called ``acting Ministers''--including Hanafi--for their role in
``depriving Afghan girls and women of their right to education, access
to justice and equal treatment between men and women.''
The United States is closely following the potential development of
an EU anti-corruption sanctions authority and stands ready to support
EU efforts by sharing insights and offering technical support,
including regarding evidence collection, addressing legal challenges,
and evidentiary requirements. The Administration will continue to seek
out additional allies and partners, including civil society, to
leverage all tools at our disposal to deny access to the United States'
and international financial systems and deny entry to the United States
to all those who engage in serious human rights abuse and corruption.
Andrew H. Self,
Foreign Affairs Officer, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs,
Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2024-03532 Filed 2-22-24; 8:45 am]
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