2022 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act Annual Report

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Published

March 31, 2023

Issuing agencies

State Department

Abstract

This notice contains the text of the report required by the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, as submitted by the Secretary of State.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 62 (Friday, March 31, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 62 (Friday, March 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19344-19348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06749]

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 12028]

2022 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act Annual
Report

ACTION: Notice.

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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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6d3e08010b2c252d1e190c1908430a021b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aaf9cfc6ccebe2ead9decbdecf84cdc5dc">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>,
Phone: (202) 412-3586.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 21, 2022, 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), as amended by Public Law 117-110, Section 6
(collectively, ``the Act''), which is implemented and built upon by
E.O. 13818 of December 20, 2017, ``E.O. 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 2022 reporting period.
In 2022, the United States took significant action under the Global
Magnitsky sanctions program (``Global Magnitsky''), designating 35
foreign persons over the course of the year. As of December 10, 2022,
the United States has designated a total of 450 foreign persons
(individuals and entities) pursuant to E.O. 13818. 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 promote respect for human
rights and combat corruption around the world. Through the Act and E.O.
13818, 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
anticorruption and human rights promotion in coordination with U.S.
partners, allies, and civil society where appropriate. In recognition
of the repeal of Section 1265 of the Act, signed into law on April 8,
2022 in Public Law 117-110, Section 6 (which enables the
Reauthorization of Sanctions Under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights
Accountability Act with Respect to Human Rights Violations and
Corruption), 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 his National Security Strategy (NSS),
the United States will stand with our allies and partners to combat new
threats aimed at our democracies. The Administration will take special
aim at confronting corruption, which rots democracy from the inside,
erodes government stability, impedes economic development, and is
increasingly weaponized by authoritarian states to undermine democratic
institutions. The United States 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.
The Global Magnitsky program and cooperation with like-minded
international partners directly address the objectives outlined in the
President's 2021 Memorandum on Establishing the Fight Against
Corruption as a Core National Security Interest. This memorandum states
that corruption threatens U.S. national security, economic equity,
global anti-poverty and development efforts, and democracy itself. It
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.
On December 20, 2021, President Biden elevated anti-corruption to
the forefront of U.S. national security strategy with the first ever
U.S. Strategy on Countering Corruption, consisting of five mutually
reinforcing pillars, including (i) Modernizing, Coordinating, and
Resourcing U.S. Government Efforts to Fight Corruption, (ii) Curbing
Illicit Finance, (iii) Holding Corrupt Actors Accountable, (iv)
Preserving and Strengthening the Multilateral Anti-Corruption
Architecture, and (v) Improving Diplomatic Engagement and Leveraging
Foreign Assistance. This anti-corruption 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 2022 continue to demonstrate the reach,
flexibility, and broad scope of Global Magnitsky. The United States
responded to serious human rights abuse and corruption globally,
deterring and disrupting some of the most egregious behavior by foreign
actors. These actions targeted, among others, corrupt politicians

[[Page 19345]]

undermining the rule of law in Central America and a People's Republic
of China (PRC) fishing network connected to serious human rights abuse
involving forced labor. The actions against the PRC fishing network in
particular demonstrated the U.S. government's ongoing effort to impose
tangible and significant consequences on those engaged in serious human
rights abuse, including on those vessels engaged in illegal,
unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
As noted in the Presidential Memorandum on Combating Illegal,
Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Associated Labor Abuses, if IUU
fishing and associated labor abuses are left unchecked, they threaten
the livelihoods and human rights of fishers around the world and
undermine U.S. economic competitiveness, national security, and fishery
sustainability. This was the first time the United States has
sanctioned an entity connected to serious human rights abuse related to
forced labor issues. Where applicable, the United States used Global
Magnitsky sanctions in coordination with international law enforcement
actions, including Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) investigations, extraditions, and indictments.
These designations demonstrate the Administration's resolve to leverage
this important tool judiciously and to strategic effect.
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 the Global
Magnitsky program aim to target systemic corruption and human rights
abuse, including the networks that engage in, facilitate, or perpetuate
sustained patterns of such illicit behavior rather than incidental acts
by individual targets. 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 2022, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the
Secretary of State and the Attorney General, imposed financial
sanctions on the following 35 foreign persons (individuals and
entities) pursuant to E.O. 13818 (ordered by date of designation):

Sudan

<bullet> Central Reserve Police: The Central Reserve Police (CRP)
was designated on March 21, 2022, for being a foreign person
responsible for or complicit in, or that has directly or indirectly
engaged in, serious human rights abuse. The CRP is a militarized
Sudanese police unit that has been at the forefront of the Sudanese
security forces' violent response to peaceful protests in Khartoum. On
January 17, 2022, the CRP and the anti-riot police led a deployment of
Sudanese security forces to suppress demonstrations across Khartoum.
Using live ammunition, CRP officers fired on protestors throughout the
day. When protestors fled the scene, CRP, anti-riot police, and regular
police chased them, arresting and beating some with batons and gun
butts.

Liberia

<bullet> Bill Twehway: Twehway was designated on August 15, 2022,
for being a foreign person who is a current 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. Twehway is the current Managing Director of the National
Port Authority (NPA). Twehway orchestrated the diversion of $1.5
million in vessel storage fee funds from the NPA into a private
account. Twehway secretly formed a private company to which, through
his position at the NPA, he later unilaterally awarded a contract for
loading and unloading cargo at the Port of Buchanan. Twehway and others
used family members to obfuscate their own involvement in the company
while still benefitting financially from the company.
<bullet> Sayma Syrenius Cephus: Cephus was designated on August 15,
2022, for being a foreign person who is a current 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. Cephus is the current Solicitor General and
Chief Prosecutor of Liberia. Cephus has received bribes from
individuals in exchange for having their cases dropped; worked behind
the scenes to establish arrangements with subjects of money laundering
investigations to cease investigations in order to personally benefit
financially; utilized his position to hinder investigations and block
the prosecution of corruption cases involving members of the
government; and has been accused of tampering with and purposefully
withholding evidence in cases involving members of opposition political
parties to ensure conviction.
<bullet> Nathaniel McGill: McGill was designated on August 15,
2022, for being a foreign person who is a current 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. During his tenure in government, McGill has
bribed business owners, received bribes from potential investors, and
accepted kickbacks for steering contracts to companies in which he has
an interest. McGill is credibly accused of involvement in a wide range
of other corrupt schemes including soliciting bribes from government
office seekers and misappropriating government assets for personal
gain.

Moldova

<bullet> Vladimir Plahotniuc: Plahotniuc was designated on October
26, 2022, for being a foreign person who is a 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. Plahotniuc is a former Moldovan Member of
Parliament who served as both de facto leader and elected chair of the
Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM). Plahotniuc directed Moldovan law
enforcement to focus investigations on individuals and

[[Page 19346]]

entities that were in political opposition to him and the PDM in
advance of elections in 2018. Plahotniuc also used Moldovan government
officials as intermediaries to bribe law enforcement officials in order
to maintain their loyalty and further cement his control over Moldova;
explicitly engaged in corrupt arrangements with Moldovan government
officials; and attempted to bribe Moldovan politicians to switch
political parties. Plahotniuc controlled the judicial system and used
Moldovan courts to manipulate and invalidate the June 2018 mayoral
election in Chisinau and close voting stations in areas where his party
was not expected to do well. Plahotniuc maintained control of key media
outlets, further enabling his influence and ability to exert leverage
over the government to target his opponents and protect himself and his
allies.

Guatemala

<bullet> Dmitry Kudryakov: Kudryakov was designated on November 18,
2022, for being a foreign person who materially assisted, sponsored, or
provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or
services to or in support of corruption, including the misappropriation
of state assets, corruption related to government contracts, or the
extraction of natural resources, or bribery. Kudryakov, a Russian
national, led multiple bribery schemes over several years involving
politicians, judges, and government officials to exploit the Guatemalan
mining sector. Kudryakov is the leader of Solway Investment mining
operations in Guatemala.
<bullet> Iryna Litviniuk: Litviniuk was designated on November 18,
2022, for being a foreign person who materially assisted, sponsored, or
provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or
services to or in support of corruption, including the misappropriation
of state assets, corruption related to government contracts, or the
extraction of natural resources, or bribery. Litviniuk, a Belarusian
national, led multiple bribery schemes over several years involving
politicians, judges, and government officials to exploit the Guatemalan
mining sector. Litviniuk conducted corrupt acts in furtherance of
Russian influence peddling schemes by unlawfully giving cash payments
to public officials in exchange for support for Russian mining
interests.
<bullet> Compania Guatemalteca de Niquel, Compania Procesadora de
Niquel, and Mayaniquel: Compania Guatemalteca de Niquel (CGN), Compania
Procesadora de Niquel (ProNiCo), and Mayaniquel were designated on
November 18, 2022, for their connection with Kudryakov and Litviniuk's
corruption schemes. These entities are subsidiaries of the Solway
Investment group, a Russian enterprise that has exploited Guatemalan
mines since 2011. CGN, ProNiCo, and Mayaniquel are subsidiaries of the
Russian enterprise Solway Investment group and are owned or controlled
by, directly or indirectly, Kudryakov. CGN, ProNiCo, and Mayaniquel are
registered in Guatemala.
<bullet> Allan Estuardo Rodriguez Reyes: Rodriguez Reyes was
designated on December 9, 2022, for being a foreign person who is a
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. Rodriguez Reyes utilized
his authority as President of Congress to award construction grants in
exchange for financial kickbacks. Rodriguez Reyes has used his
political influence to strike deals in exchange for bribes and
facilitated bribes to others, including, for example, by allegedly
offering bribes for votes on a state of emergency bill during a floor
session of congress.
<bullet> Jorge Estuardo Vargas Morales: Vargas Morales was
designated on December 9, 2022, 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. Vargas
Morales is a Guatemalan congressman and one of several individuals at
the apex of a network designed to control contracts and operations at
government-run ports for personal profit. He oversees project execution
once contracts are awarded and pays out a percentage to board members
who vote in favor. Additionally, Vargas Morales controls employment at
the port through his influence in the port labor unions and uses those
unions to gain political leverage. He maintains loyalties by paying
bribes in exchange for unions creating blockades and strikes to advance
his political objectives.
<bullet> Luis Alfonso Chang Navarro: Chang Navarro was designated
on December 9, 2022, 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. Chang Navarro was the
Minister of Energy and Mines from 2016-2020; additionally, as Minister
of Energy and Mines, Chang Navarro was the head of the board of
Guatemala's National Electrification Institute (INDE) and allegedly
used his position to secure kickbacks. He solicited bribes and other
favors in exchange for not revoking an oil exploitation license. Chang
Navarro's modus operandi was to use his position as Minister to
``create problems'' for a business and then offer a solution in
exchange for bribes and other unlawful favors.

El Salvador

<bullet> Conan Tonathiu Castro Ramirez: Castro Ramirez was
designated on December 9, 2022, 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. Castro
Ramirez, during his tenure as Presidential Legal Secretary, obstructed
investigations into the misappropriation of public funds during the
government's response to the pandemic and used his office for personal
financial gain.
<bullet> Oscar Rolando Castro: Rolando Castro was designated on
December 9, 2022, 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. As Minister of Labor,
Rolando Castro engaged in corruption and misappropriated public funds
for his personal benefit. As Minister, Rolando Castro used his position
to influence unions to align with the Ministry of Labor's political
interests and engage in activities that benefitted him and his
political allies in order to receive expedited processing of their
credentials. Some of those who agreed received additional benefits,
such as favored access for international travel while some of those who
refused to

[[Page 19347]]

align with Rolando Castro faced harassment, retaliation, and delayed
union certification.

Guinea

<bullet> Alpha Conde: Conde was designated on December 9, 2022, 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 his
tenure. Conde is the former President of Guinea who was ousted in a
coup d'[eacute]tat in September 2021. Under his presidency, security
forces engaged in violence against supporters of Conde's opposition
leading up to a March 2020 constitutional referendum that enabled Conde
to run for a third term. Violence against opposition members continued
through and after the October 2020 Guinean presidential election. In
early 2020, Conde ordered ministers to create a police unit to respond
to anti-Conde protesters, with violence if necessary. Around the
October 2020 Guinean presidential election, security forces used
excessive force to disperse opposition supporters. Among other
incidents, security forces reportedly fired live bullets into crowds
that had gathered to celebrate the victory announcement of Conde's
opposition and shot two minors, killing one, and shooting one in the
back as he ran away. After the October 2020 election, security forces
reportedly killed over a dozen individuals, including individuals
killed at close range who presented no immediate danger to the security
forces.

Mali

<bullet> Karim Keita: Keita was designated on December 9, 2022, 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. Keita is the son of former Mali President
Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the former president of the Security and
Defense Commission of Mali's National Assembly. Keita oversaw Mali's
defense spending from February 2014 until August 2020, when the
military overthrew his father. Keita allegedly used his position to
receive bribes, assign contracts to affiliates who subsequently paid
him kickbacks, and embezzle government funds by overpaying on contracts
for materiel. Through his father, Keita allegedly arranged to remove
from their positions officials who did not support his corruption.
Keita also ostensibly arranged bribes to support his father's re-
election. After his father was ousted, Keita fled to Cote d'Ivoire,
where he serves as the CEO of Konijane Strategic Marketing.
<bullet> Konijane Strategic Marketing: Konijane Strategic Marketing
was designated on December 9, 2022, for being owned or controlled by
Keita. Keita currently serves as the CEO of Konijane Strategic
Marketing.

Philippines

<bullet> Apollo Quiboloy: Quiboloy was designated on December 9,
2022, for being a foreign person who is or has been responsible for or
complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human
rights abuse. For more than a decade, Quiboloy, the founder of The
Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name (KOJC) church in the
Philippines, engaged in serious human rights abuse, including a pattern
of systemic and pervasive rape of girls as young as 11 years old, as
well as other physical abuse. In 2021, a federal indictment alleged
Quiboloy was involved in sex trafficking ``pastorals''--young women
within the KOJC selected to work as personal assistants for Quiboloy.
Pastorals were directed to have ``night duty,'' which required them to
have sexual intercourse with Quiboloy on a determined schedule.
Quiboloy kept pastorals in various countries, including the Philippines
and the United States. Quiboloy also subjected pastorals and other KOJC
members to other forms of physical abuse. Reports indicate Quiboloy
personally beat victims and knew where to hit them so there would be no
visible bruising. Pastorals and KOJC members who angered Quiboloy were
at times sent to ``Upper Six,'' a walled compound used solely for
punishment.

PRC

<bullet> Li Zhenyu: Li was designated on December 9, 2022, for
being a foreign person who is 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. Li is the chairman and general manager of Dalian
Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd.
<bullet> Zhuo Xinrong: Zhuo was designated on December 9, 2022, for
being a foreign person who is 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. Zhuo is the founder, chairman and CEO of Pingtan
Marine Enterprise, Ltd.
<bullet> Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd.: Dalian Ocean Fishing Co.,
Ltd. (DOF) was designated on December 9, 2022, for being owned or
controlled by Li. DOF is responsible for the day-to-day operations of
its fleet. DOF committed abuses against crew members including
widespread reports of withheld pay, malnutrition, overwork, physical
assault, deceptive recruiting practices, confiscation of identity
documents, punishing work, physical abuse, and 10 crew member deaths.
DOF received almost $8 million annually in PRC government subsidies.
<bullet> Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd.: Pingtan Marine
Enterprise, Ltd. (PME) was designated on December 9, 2022, for being
owned or controlled by Zhuo. PME operates a large fleet of nearly 100
fishing vessels and reefer ships. Its vessels have been involved in
serious human rights abuse and implicated in IUU fishing and other
illegal activity in Indonesia, East Timor, and Ecuador. Crewmembers
aboard PME-owned vessels reported instances of forced labor, withheld
pay and food, physical violence, and gross negligence which led to the
death of a crew member. In 2021, Pingtan Fishing received a $19 million
subsidy from the PRC government as an incentive to develop its distant
water fishing industry.
<bullet> Heroic Treasure Limited, Mars Harvest Co. Ltd., Merchant
Supreme Co. Ltd., Prime Cheer Corporation Ltd., Pingtan Guansheng Ocean
Fishing Co., Ltd., Fujian Heyue Marine Fishing Development Co., Ltd.,
and Pingtan County Ocean Fishing Group Co., Ltd. along with 157
vessels: These persons were designated on December 9, 2022, for being
directly or indirectly owned or controlled by Li, Zhuo, DOF, or PME.
<bullet> Fuzhou Honglong Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd: Fuzhou was
designated on December 9, 2022, for having materially assisted,
sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support
for, or goods or services to or in support of, PME.
<bullet> Wu Yingjie: Wu was designated on December 9, 2022, for
being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in, or who
has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse. Wu
was the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) Party Secretary between 2016
and 2021. During this timeframe, Wu directed government officials to
engage in ``stability policies.'' The implementation of these stability
policies involved serious human rights abuse, including

[[Page 19348]]

physical abuse, arbitrary arrests and detentions in the TAR.
<bullet> Zhang Hongbo: Zhang was designated on December 9, 2022,
for being a leader or official of an entity, including a government
entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious
human rights abuse. Zhang has been the director of the Tibetan Public
Security Bureau (TPSB) since 2018 through at least November 2022. Zhang
has worked to advance the PRC's goals and policies in the TAR as
``Tibet's police chief.'' During Zhang's tenure, the TPSB engaged in
serious human rights abuse, including arbitrary detention and physical
abuse.

Iran

<bullet> Ali Akbar Javidan: Javidan was designated on December 9,
2022, 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 his tenure. Javidan is the Law Enforcement Forces of
the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) commander in Iran's Kermanshah
Province who has direct oversight over forces that have killed
protesters, including children and the elderly. The LEF was designated
in 2011 pursuant to E.O. 13553, an Iran human rights authority, for
being responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses in
Iran since the June 2009 disputed presidential election. The LEF has
repeatedly used excessive force in response to protests in Iran in
recent years, reportedly resulting in the deaths of hundreds of unarmed
protesters. Javidan has made public statements justifying the police
response to the ongoing protests while valorizing the LEF forces for
suppressing them. Javidan also publicly vowed to punish so-called moral
crimes, including the alleged improper wearing of the hijab, during a
July 2022 roundup of 1,700 people.
<bullet> Allah Karam Azizi: Azizi was designated on December 9,
2022, 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 his tenure. Azizi is the warden of Iran's notorious
Rejaee Shahr Prison. Rejaee Shahr Prison is known to house political
prisoners and those who protest against the regime. Those imprisoned
there have suffered serious physical abuse at the hands of the prison's
guards. Azizi has reportedly ordered these abuses.

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 2022, the Department took steps to impose visa restrictions,
when appropriate, on foreign persons involved in certain human rights
violations andsignificantcorruption 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 and will continue to identify individuals subject to
those authorities as appropriate. 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 2022,
the Administration continueditssuccessful outreach campaign to
international partners regarding the expansion and use of domestic and
multilateral anticorruption and human rights sanctions regimes. Over
thecourse of the reporting period, the Administration coordinated with
like-minded partnersin 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. On December 9,
the United States designated a total of 25 individuals and entities.
The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia joined us with actions
against targets connected to human rights abuses in Iran. Additionally,
the United Kingdom's tranche of sanctions under its Global Anti-
Corruption and Global Human Rights regimes included individuals and
entities previously designated by the United States under Global
Magnitsky: Vladimir Plathoniuc (designated under E.O. 13818 on October
26, 2022), Milan Radoicic (designated under E.O. 13818 on Dec 8, 2021),
and Zvonko Veselinovic (designated under E.O. 13818 on Dec 8, 2021).
The United States is closely following the development of a
European Union (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 Departments of State and
the Treasury have, over the last year, shared information, coordinated
messaging, identified areas of potential collaboration, and provided
technical assistance to this end. The Administration will continue to
seek out additional allies and partners, including meaningful input
from 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 Self,
Sanctions Officer, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Department
of State.
[FR Doc. 2023-06749 Filed 3-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-AE-P

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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.