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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

OFAC sanctions Chinese government officials for human rights violations

Financial Crimes OFAC OFAC Designations Department of Treasury Sanctions SDN List China Of Interest to Non-US Persons

Financial Crimes

On March 22, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13818 against two current Chinese government officials for alleged corruption violations of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. According to OFAC, the sanctioned persons are connected to serious human rights abuse against ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs, in the Xinjiang region. The sanctions follow previous OFAC designations taken against several other Chinese government entities and current or former government officials for similar corruption violations (covered by InfoBytes here and here). As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property belonging to the sanctioned persons, and “any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more” by them, subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. OFAC notes that its regulations generally prohibit U.S. persons from participating in transactions with these persons, which includes “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.”