Global Sanctions Mid-Year Update: Steady Targeted Sanctions Momentum but U.S. Fault Lines Emerge

Global Sanctions Mid-Year Update: Steady Targeted Sanctions Momentum but U.S. Fault Lines Emerge

Targeted sanctions have become one of the most powerful tools by which governments address human rights abuses and corruption worldwide. However, recent U.S. policy developments risk undermining the credibility of this global response. In a new joint briefing, REDRESS, Human Rights First, the Open Society Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, and the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) examine recent developments in the use of targeted human rights and anti-corruption sanctions programmes across the U.S., UK, EU, Canada, and Australia from 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025.

Sanctions remained a central response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the UK alone, over 86% of the 418 new sanctions designations targeted Russian officials. Governments also expanded their listings to respond to human rights crises and corruption in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, Belarus, Sudan, Georgia, Sri Lanka, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Moldova, and Venezuela. At the same time, some democracies also rolled back their Syria sanctions to help facilitate rebuilding the country and its economy following the fall of the Assad regime.

The United States effectively halted its Global Magnitsky Sanctions, listing only one individual who was later dubiously delisted following the change in administration. The Trump administration has significantly scaled back efforts to prioritise human rights and anti-corruption accountability in its foreign policy and sanctions. This includes gutting one of the key bureaus implementing human rights sanctions and visa restrictions and narrowing its focus to “natural rights”. In a widely condemned move, the United States also designated the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor and four ICC judges, undermining accountability efforts before the court. Following the reporting period, the United States sanctioned four additional ICC officials, as well as UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

The UK announced two sanctions packages responding to ongoing violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank, as well as sanctioning officials in Belarus and Venezuela following disputed elections. The UK sanctioned four men implicated in atrocities during the 1983-2009 conflict in Sri Lanka, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and sexual violence. As part of the Foreign Secretary’s campaign to tackle corruption and dirty money, the UK also designated destabilising actors in Moldova, Guatemala, and Georgia. The National Crime Agency secured its first convictions for breaches of the UK’s Russia sanctions. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov (the former Russia-appointed Governor of Sevastopol) was found guilty of circumventing sanctions regulations and money laundering after receiving £76,000 from his wife and a new Mercedes from his brother. His brother was found guilty of circumventing sanctions regulations. Dmitrii and his brother were sentenced to 40 months and 15 months’ imprisonment (suspended for 15 months), respectively.

Alongside adopting its 17th package of Russia sanctions, the EU focused on the human rights situations in Syria, the DRC, and Iran. The EU’s Syria designations target those involved in serious human rights abuses in coastal regions of Syria, as well as those associated with the former Assad regime for supporting crimes against humanity and for fuelling sectarian violence. Nine individuals and one entity were sanctioned for their roles in sustaining armed conflict, instability and insecurity in the DRC, and exploiting the armed conflict through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources. The Iran designations target persons for their roles in the detention of EU citizens in Iran, and those linked to the violent crackdown against the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement. Shortly after the reporting period, the EU made additional Iran listings addressing transnational repression by Iranian state bodies.

Canada imposed 55 new designations under the Special Economic Measures Act, particularly focusing on Venezuelan officials who supported efforts by the Maduro regime to silence and intimidate those demanding free and fair elections in Venezuela, as well as responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Canada also sanctioned individuals and entities involved in gross human rights violations in Belarus, Sudan, Iran, Myanmar, and Israel/Palestine. Businessman Anton Trofimov became the first individual to be charged with sanctions evasion in Canada, following a three-year investigation. Trofimov faces two charges under the SEMA for exporting banned technology to Russia and one charge under the Criminal Code for possession of property obtained by crime.

Australia announced its largest sanctions package against Russia, sanctioning 70 individuals and 79 entities. It also imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank – a multilateral action also taken by Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK, and which follows the ACIJ’s submissions of August 2024 and January 2025 to the Australian Foreign Minister. Australia imposed its first cyber sanctions on an entity, targeting Russian entity, ZServers and five Russian citizens, a further response to the 2022 cyberattack against Medibank Private, which affected millions of Medibank customers with the exposure of their personal and medical data.