From March 2-6, 2012, the Office of Foreign Assets Control added two individuals and three entities to its "Specially Designated Nationals" list. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.
On March 5, 2012, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) identified the Syrian General Organization of Radio and TV as subject to sanctions imposed on the Government of Syria by Executive Order 13582 of August 17, 2011, which blocks all property and interests in property of the Government of Syria. The General Organization of Radio and TV is a state-run agency subordinate to Syria’s Ministry of Information.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued General License No. 5a under the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR 544), Iranian Transactions Regulations (31 CFR 560), and Executive Order 13599 on "Blocking Property of the Government of Iran and Iranian Financial Institutions," to authorize certain transactions related to the arrest in Mundra, India, detention, and judicial sale of the MV Dianthe, a vessel on OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list. Such transactions include, but are not limited to: (i) bidding on the purchase of the vessels; (ii) paying deposits; (iii) providing financing, insurance, or funding in connection with the purchase; (iv) repairing or modifying the Vessel for commercial use; etc. This authorization expires on November 30, 2012.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has released Enforcement Information for February 24, 2012 regarding a $1,054,388 settlement between Online Micro, LLC, its owner, and OFAC for Online's apparent violations regarding unlicensed exports of computer-related goods indirectly from the U.S. through Dubai, UAE, to Iran between 2009 and 2010, in apparent violation of Section 560.204 of the ITR. The settlement is related to certain criminal plea agreements, as well as settlement agreements with the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule, effective February 27, 2012, amending the Iranian Financial Sanctions Regulations (IFSR) and reissuing them in their entirety, in order to, among other things, implement section 1245(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2012 (NDAA), which provides for the imposition of sanctions with respect to the Central Bank of Iran and designated Iranian financial institutions.
On February 23, 2012, the President sent a letter to Congress announcing that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13566 of February 25, 2011 with respect to Libya is to continue in effect for one year.
On February 23, 2012, the Office of Foreign Assets Control added eleven individuals and two entities to its "Specially Designated Nationals" list. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued General License No. 15, related to Syria, to authorize transactions in connection with intellectual property rights protection that would otherwise be prohibited by Executive Order 13582 of August 17, 2011 (Blocking Property of the Government of Syria and Prohibiting Certain Transactions With Respect to Syria). Specifically, the General License authorizes (1) the filing and prosecution of any application for, (2) the receipt of, (3) the renewal or maintenance of, (4) and the filing and prosecution of (or entry of defense to) any opposition or infringement proceeding with respect to: any patent, trademark, copyright, or other form of intellectual property protection in the United States or Syria.
On February 17, 2012, the Justice Department announced that Jeng "Jay" Shih was sentenced to 18 months in prison, while his company, Sunrise Technologies and Trading Corporation, was sentenced to 24 months corporate probation for conspiracy to illegally export U.S.-origin computers to Iran through the United Arab Emirates in violation of the Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
On February 16, 2012, the Office of Foreign Assets Control added one entity to its "Specially Designated Nationals" list. SDNs are (i) individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, targeted countries or (ii) individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under programs that are not country-specific. The assets of listed SDNs are blocked and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them.