Global Sanctions Mid-Year Update: Democracies Unite against Human Rights Abuses and Corruption

Global Sanctions Mid-Year Update: Democracies Unite against Human Rights Abuses and Corruption

Targeted sanctions remain a crucial tool in the global effort to combat human rights abuses and corruption. In their first joint briefing, REDRESS, Human Rights First, the Open Society Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and the Australian Centre for International Justice examine recent developments in the use of targeted human rights and anti–corruption sanctions programmes in the US, UK, EU, Canada, and Australia from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024.

During this period countries continued to use targeted sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For instance, of the 63 new sanctions designations made by the EU, 64% targeted Russian officials. But governments also expanded their sanctions regime to respond to human rights crises in Syria, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Georgia, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere.

While the United States saw a slowdown in Global Magnitsky sanctions in 2024, it still imposed 104 targeted sanctions across various programmes. The Global Magnitsky programme alone targeted 48 individuals across seven countries for human rights abuses and corruption. Notable actions included sanctioning a Cambodian senator and their network to confront forced labour and human trafficking, and Georgian officials linked to attacks on protestors ahead of the country’s October elections.

The UK also sanctioned five Georgian officials responsible for attacks against journalists and peaceful protestors. Between July and December, the UK issued 12 sanctions packages designating 89 individuals, 79 entities and 110 ships from Russia’s “Shadow Fleet” to curtail the country’s oil revenues. In response to concerns over Israel’s compliance with International Humanitarian law, the UK suspended around 30 export licenses for items used in the conflict in Gaza and imposed sanctions on three Israeli settler outposts and four Israeli organisations in the West Bank. Anti-corruption efforts included sanctions on prominent figures such as Dmitry Firtash, Isabel Dos Santos, and Aivars Lembergs for embezzlement and money laundering. The UK also announced a new £36 million fund to support global efforts to tackle kleptocracy, reflecting the UK’s growing focus on tackling illicit financial flows.

The EU broadened its focus to human rights violations in regions such as Syria, North Korea, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, and Haiti. It also introduced a new sanctions framework targeting hybrid threats such as election interference, violent demonstrations and disinformation campaigns. In June, the EU established the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) to coordinate anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing between member states.

Canada imposed 41 new designations under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA), particularly focusing on Russian actors responsible for torture and human rights violations against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. It also sanctioned individuals and entities involved in gross human rights violations across Iran, Israel-Gaza, Myanmar, Belarus, China and Venezuela. Canada introduced new anti-money laundering measures to prevent sanctions evasion, including amending its Criminal Code to lower the threshold for sanctions violations and expand due diligence obligations for Canadian businesses.

Australia expanded its sanctions regime with sanctions against Israeli settlers and entities in the West Bank, aimed at countering settler violence against Palestinians, in coordination with the US, UK, and Canada. On the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody, Australia imposed five new designations on Iranian officials for their role in repressing protests and maintaining discriminatory policies towards women and minorities. It further sanctioned five Iranian missile developers in response to Tehran’s attacks on Israel, citing these actions as a regional security threat. The country also imposed sanctions on Russian cybercriminals involved in malicious cyber activities, as part of a broader effort to deter global cybercrime and coordinate with international partners, including the UK and US.

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