Congress includes measures in annual appropriations legislation requiring the Secretary of State to bar certain foreign corrupt officials (kleptocrats) and human rights violators and their immediate family members from entry into the United States. Following a brief introduction, this CRS report provides a chronological list of such publicly designated individuals under Section 7031(c) of annual appropriations for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS). A complete list of public designations pursuant to Section 7031(c) may be relevant as Congress considers legislation on and conducts oversight of the policy tools available to address foreign corruption and/or the protection of human rights. The chronology includes information on whether targets of Section 7031(c) public designations are also subject to U.S. sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The chronology does not include information or statistics on any individuals who may have been privately designated pursuant to Section 7031(c).
For further information on Section 7031(c), see CRS In Focus IF10905, FY2020 Foreign Operations Appropriations: Targeting Foreign Corruption and Human Rights Violations, by Liana W. Rosen and Michael A. Weber. An interactive spreadsheet of designations to date is available to congressional clients upon request.
Congress includes measures in annual appropriations legislation requiring the Secretary of State to bar certain foreign corrupt officials (kleptocrats) and human rights violators and their immediate family members from entry into the United States. Following a brief introduction, this CRS report provides a chronological list of such publicly designated individuals under Section 7031(c) of annual appropriations for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS). A complete list of public designations pursuant to Section 7031(c) may be relevant as Congress considers legislation on and conducts oversight of the policy tools available to address foreign corruption and/or the protection of human rights. The chronology includes information on whether targets of Section 7031(c) public designations are also subject to U.S. sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The chronology does not include information or statistics on any individuals who may have been privately designated pursuant to Section 7031(c).
For further information on Section 7031(c), see CRS In Focus IF10905, FY2020 Foreign Operations Appropriations: Targeting Foreign Corruption and Human Rights Violations, by Liana W. Rosen and Michael A. Weber. An interactive spreadsheet of designations to date is available to congressional clients upon request.
Congress includes measures in annual appropriations legislation requiring the Secretary of State to bar certain foreign corrupt officials (kleptocrats) and human rights violators and their immediate family members from entry into the United States. These measures provide the Secretary with discretion to designate such barred individuals publicly or privately. Visa bans implemented pursuant to this requirement apply to foreign officials about whom the Secretary has credible information indicating that they "have been involved, directly or indirectly, in significant corruption, including corruption related to the extraction of natural resources, or a gross violation of human rights." The provision also requires the immediate family members of designated foreign officials to be subject to visa bans.
For FY2020, the statutory requirement is located at Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2020 (SFOPS, Division G, P.L. 116-94; 8 U.S.C. 1182 note). The origins of Section 7031(c) can be traced to FY2008 SFOPS appropriations, and the discretion to publicly designate individuals pursuant to 7031(c) has been explicitly provided in appropriations provisions since FY2015. Current information on the State Department's actions to designate foreign officials under Section 7031(c) may be relevant as Congress considers legislation on and conducts oversight of the policy tools available to address foreign corruption and/or the protection of human rights. A key question for policymakers is whether Section 7031(c) will remain in its current FY2020 form in FY2021 SFOPS appropriations.
This CRS report provides a chronological list of publicly designated individuals under Section 7031(c) to date. The chronology includes information on the designation of these individuals for U.S. sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The chronology does not include information or statistics on any individuals who may have been privately designated pursuant to Section 7031(c). The Departments of State and the Treasury do not provide a comprehensive list of all public 7031(c) designations to date, or integrated information on whether such targeted individuals are also subject to OFAC sanctions.
The first public designation took place in 2018. Since then, more than 150 individuals (77 primary public designations on corruption or human rights grounds and 74 additional family members publicly named) from more than 30 countries have been publicly identified pursuant to Section 7031(c). Of the primary designations, approximately 70% of public listings are on human rights grounds and 30% are on corruption grounds. (Unless otherwise stated, all figures are current as of the cover date of this report.)
All of the public designations pursuant to 7031(c) have occurred during the Administration of President Donald J. Trump. The first, targeting former Albanian Prosecutor General Adriatik Llalla and his immediate family members, took place on February 14, 2018. In Calendar Year (CY) 2018, the State Department publicly identified 7 individuals on corruption or human rights grounds and named an additional 21 family members. In CY2019, the State Department publicly identified 50 individuals on corruption or human rights grounds and named an additional 43 family members. Since the beginning of CY2020, the State Department has publicly identified 20 individuals on corruption and human rights grounds and named an additional 10 family members.
Among primary designees, the greatest number of public designations from a single country involve nationals of Saudi Arabia (17), all designated for their roles in the October 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and journalist. Latin America is the most represented region among public designations (26); the region's total is boosted by a case that dates to 1989 involving 13 former Salvadoran military officials who had been involved in the planning and execution of extrajudicial killings of six Jesuit priests and two others. The least represented region among the public designations is Asia, with one Cambodian, one Sri Lankan, and four Burmese public designations.
Designations pursuant to 7031(c) represent one source of U.S. government-designated foreign individuals implicated in corruption or human rights violations. Designations pursuant to one or more sanctions programs administered by OFAC represent another source. Of the public 7031(c) designations to date on corruption or human rights grounds 41 individuals (including 6 family members) are also designated for OFAC sanctions. Approximately 83% of these are sanctioned under Executive Order (E.O.) 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions); others are designated under country-specific sanctions programs, including those targeting individuals from Democratic Republic of Congo (E.O. 13413, as amended), Venezuela (E.O. 13692), and Zimbabwe (E.O. 13469).
Designations pursuant to 7031(c) may be made without public notice. State Department press releases, for example, refer to minor children who have been designated as immediate family members of a publicly designated individual on corruption or human rights grounds (and thus subject to U.S. visa restrictions), but do not identify them by name. Private designations can be converted into public designations—as in the case of a father and son involved in significant corruption associated with the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Section 7031(c)(4) of the FY2020 SFOPS Appropriations Act requires the Secretary of State to submit a report to congressional committees 30 days after enactment of the act (December 20, 2019) and every 90 days thereafter with information on the provision's implementation during the previous 12 months. While the reports may include a classified annex, Section 7031(c)(5) requires any unclassified portion of these reports to be posted on the State Department website. To date, the State Department has not posted public versions of the FY2020 SFOPS reports online.
The Senate Appropriations Committee report accompanying S. 2583 (S.Rept. 116-126), the Senate version of the FY2020 SFOPS bill, voiced the committee's concerns regarding information-sharing between the State Department and the Treasury on foreign individuals directly or indirectly involved in significant corruption or gross violations of human rights. The committee report accompanying the FY2020 SFOPS bill called for a report by the Secretary of State, due within 60 days of enactment to the appropriate congressional committees, with a plan to improve interagency coordination. A public version of this report is not available.
The Senate Appropriations Committee report clarified that the term gross violation of human rights, as applied to 7031(c) designation decisions, should include "unjust or wrongful detention, including of American citizens and nationals." The committee report further required the Secretary of State to apply 7031(c) to "foreign government officials about whom the Secretary has credible information have been involved in the wrongful imprisonment of: (1) Mustafa Kassem, an American citizen imprisoned by the Government of Egypt and whose health is failing; and (2) Senator Leila de Lima who was arrested in the Philippines in 2017." The committee report also required the Secretary of State to apply 7031(c) to "officials of the Governments of Turkey, Egypt, or Saudi Arabia about whom the Secretary has credible information have been involved in the wrongful detention of locally employed staff or a U.S. diplomatic mission or a U.S. citizen or national." To date, the State Department has not publicly designated any of the individuals described in the committee report (it is possible that some or all have been privately designated).
For further information on Section 7031(c), see CRS In Focus IF10905, FY2020 Foreign Operations Appropriations: Targeting Foreign Corruption and Human Rights Violations, by Liana W. Rosen and Michael A. Weber. An interactive spreadsheet of designations to date is available to congressional clients upon request.
Chronology of Public Designations on Corruption or Human Rights Grounds, Pursuant to Section 7031(c) of Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Acts, FY2015 Through Present
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February 14, 2018 |
Corruption designation: Former Prosecutor General Adriatik Llalla (Albania). Immediate family members Ardjana Llalla (spouse) and Eni Llalla (child) publicly designated; his minor child designated. |
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April 16, 2018 |
Corruption designation: Member of Parliament Tom Doshi (Albania). Immediate family members Xhovana Doshi (spouse), Briana Doshi (child), and James Doshi (child) publicly designated; his minor children designated. |
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June 12, 2018 |
Corruption designation: Senator Felix Ramon Bautista Rosario (Dominican Republic). Immediate family members Sarah Haydee Rojas Pena (spouse), Felix Ramon Bautista Abreu (child), Felix Jose Bautista Abreu (child), Felix Augusto Bautista Abreu (child), Felix Miguel Bautista Soler (child), Felix Fidel Bautista Grullon (child), and Yanilssa Bautista Bencosme (child) publicly designated; his minor children designated. On June 12, 2018, the Treasury Department designated Felix Ramon Bautista Rosario for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). Treasury's press release on his designation described Bautista as having "engaged in significant acts of corruption in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti" and as having "been publicly accused of money laundering and embezzlement."a |
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September 10, 2018 |
Corruption designation: Member of the House of Representatives Nikola Spiric (Bosnia and Herzegovina), for having "engaged in and benefitted from public corruption, including the acceptance of improper benefits in exchange for the performance of public functions and interference with public processes."b Immediate family members Nada Spiric (spouse), Aleksandar Spiric (child), and Jovana Spiric (child) publicly designated. |
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December 10, 2018 |
Corruption designation: Former President Yahya Jammeh (The Gambia). Immediate family members Zineb Yahya Jammeh (spouse), Mariam Jammeh (child), and Muhammad Yahya Jammeh (child) publicly designated. On December 21, 2017, the Treasury Department designated Yahya Jammeh for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). Treasury's press release on his designation referred to Jammeh's "long history of engaging in serious human rights abuses and corruption."c |
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December 12, 2018 |
Corruption designation: President of the Supreme Electoral Council Roberto Jose Rivas Reyes (Nicaragua), "for involvement in significant corruption and for perpetuating electoral fraud that undermined Nicaragua's electoral institutions."d Immediate family member Ileana Patricia Lacayo Delgado de Rivas (spouse) publicly designated. On December 21, 2017, the Treasury Department designated Roberto Jose Rivas Reyes for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). |
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December 18, 2018 |
Human rights designation: Goran Radosavljevic (Serbia), for being "credibly implicated in the 1999 murder of the Bytyqi brothers, three Albanian-American brothers killed in Serbia after the Kosovo War."e Immediate family members Svetlana Radosavljevic (spouse) and Ana Radosavljevic (child) publicly designated. |
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February 22, 2019 |
Corruption designations: Five individuals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for "their involvement in significant corruption relating to the electoral process": (1) President of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) Corneille Yobeluo Nangaa, (2) CENI Vice President Norbert Basengezi Katintima, (3) CENI Advisor to the President Marcellin Mukolo Basengezi (and son of Katintima), (4) National Assembly President Aubin Minaku Ndjalandjoko, and (5) President of the Constitutional Court Benoit Lwamba Bindu.f On March 21, 2019, the Treasury Department designated Corneille Yobeluo Nangaa, Marcellin Mukolo Basengezi, and Norbert Basengfezi Katintima for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13413, as amended (DRC Sanctions). |
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March 25, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Former Supreme Court Magistrate Blanca Aida Stalling Davila (Guatemala). Immediate family members Julio Alejandro Molina Stalling and Otto Fernando Molina Stalling (children) publicly designated. |
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April 8, 2019 |
Human rights designations: 16 individuals from Saudi Arabia, for "their roles in in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi": (1) Abdulaziz Muhammed M. Alhawsawi, (2) Badr Lafi M. Alotaibi, (3) Fahad Shabib A. Albalawi, (4) Khalid (alt. Khaled) Aedh G. Alotaibi, (5) Maher Abdulaziz M. Mutreb, (6) Mansour Othman M. Abahussain, (7) Meshal Saad M. Albostani, (8) Mohammed Saad H. Alzahrani, (9) Mustafa Muhammed M. Almadani, (10) Naif Hassan S. Alarifi, (11) Saif Saad Q. Alqahtani, (12) Salah Muhammad A. Tubaigy, (13) Saud al Qahtani, (14) Thaar Ghaleb T. Alharbi, (15) Turki Musharraf M. Alsehri, and (16) Waleed Abdullah M. Alsehri (alt. Alshehri).g On November 15, 2018, the Treasury Department designated all 16 individuals for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). |
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April 25, 2019 |
Human rights designation: Chechen Republic Chairman (Prime Minister) Muslim Magomedovich Khuchiev (Chechen Republic of Russia), for involvement in torture.h Immediate family member Sapiyat Shabazova (spouse) publicly designated. |
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July 3, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Special Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs and former Minister of Home Affairs Uladi Basikolo Mussa (Malawi), for having "engaged in and benefited from public corruption in relation to his official duties while Minister of Home Affairs."i Immediate family member Cecillia Mussa (spouse) publicly designated. |
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July 9, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Inspector General of the Gendarmerie Colonel Jean Claude Ango Ango (Cameroon), for "his involvement in significant corruption related to wildlife trafficking."j Immediate family member Engono Akomo (spouse) publicly designated. |
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July 16, 2019 |
Human rights designations: Four military officers from Burma for "their involvement in gross violations of human rights, including extrajudicial killings, against Rohingya, particularly from August through September 2017": (1) Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, (2) Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win, (3) Brigadier General of the 33rd Light Infantry Division Than Oo, and (4) Brigadier General and Commander of the 99th Light Infantry Division Aung Aung. "Their immediate family members" designated but not identified in the State Department's official press release.k In a report issued on August 8, 2019, pursuant to Section 7031(c)(4) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Division F of P.L. 116-6), the State Department publicly identified Nwe Than Than (spouse of Soe Win) as among those subject to a U.S. visa ban. On December 10, 2019, the Treasury Department designated the four military officers for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). |
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July 30, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Durres Mayor Vangjush Dako (Albania). Immediate family members Alba Dako (spouse), Xhulio Dako (child), and Kejsi Dako (child) publicly designated. |
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August 1, 2019 |
Human rights designation: Zimbabwean Ambassador Designate to Tanzania and former Commander of the National Army's Presidential Guard Brigade Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe (Zimbabwe), for involvement in "the violent crackdown against unarmed Zimbabweans during post-election protests on August 1, 2018 that resulted in six civilian deaths."l Immediate family member Chido Machona Sanyatwe (spouse) publicly designated. On March 11, 2020, the Treasury Department designated Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13469 (Zimbabwe Sanctions). |
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August 2, 2019 |
Human rights designations: Two military and security officers from Venezuela: (1) Commander of the police special forces (FAES) Rafael Enrique Bastardo Mendoza and (2) Commander of military counter intelligence (DGCIM) Ivan Rafael Hernandez Dala, for "human rights violations and abuses and the repression of civil society and democratic opposition" by the security and intelligence organizations that the individuals led.m Immediate family members Jeisy Catherine Leal Andarcia (spouse of Rafael Enrique Bastardo Mendoza) and Luzbel Carolina Colmenares Morales (spouse of Ivan Rafael Hernandez Dala) publicly designated; the minor children of both officials designated. On February 15, 2019, the Treasury Department designated Rafael Enrique Bastardo Mendoza and Ivan Rafael Hernandez Dala for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13692 (Venezuela Sanctions). |
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August 14, 2019 |
Human rights designation: Former Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) Salah Abdalla Mohamed Mohamed Salih, known as Salah Gosh (Sudan), for "torture during his tenure as head of NISS."n Servi Immediate family members Awatif Ahmed Seed Ahmed Mohamed (spouse) and Shima Salah Abdallah Mohamed (child) publicly designated. |
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September 5, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Former Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Liviu Nicolae Dragnea (Romania). Immediate family members Valentin Ştefan Dragnea and Maria Alexandra Dragnea (children) publicly designated. |
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September 10, 2019 |
Human rights designations: Head of the Investigative Committee in the Russian city of Surgut Vladimir Petrovich Yermolayev (Russia) and Senior Investigator at the Investigative Committee of Surgut Stepan Vladimirovich Tkach (Russia), for "torture and/or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut, Russia."o |
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September 13, 2019 |
Human rights designation: Former Inspector General of the Police Force and its former commanding officer (2005-2018) Kale Kayihura (Uganda), for "torture and/or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, through command responsibility of the Flying Squad, a specialized unit of the Uganda Police Force that reported directly to Kayihura."p Immediate family members Angela Umurisa Gabuka (spouse), Tesi Uwibambe (child), and Kale Rudahigwa (child) publicly designated. On September 13, 2019, the Treasury Department designated Kale Kayihura for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). Treasury's press release on his designation provided additional detail, describing him as having "engaged in numerous acts of corruption" in addition to human rights violations.q |
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September 26, 2019 |
Human rights designation: First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and General of the Revolutionary Armed Forces Raul Modesto Castro Ruz (Cuba). The State Department press release stated that "Raul Castro oversees a system that arbitrarily detains thousands of Cubans and currently holds more than 100 political prisoners," and that "Castro is responsible for Cuba's actions to prop up the former Maduro regime in Venezuela through violence, intimidation, and repression."r Immediate family members Alejandro Castro Espin, Deborah Castro Espin, Mariela Castro Espin, and Nilsa Castro Espin (children) publicly designated. |
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October 25, 2019 |
Human rights designation: Owen Ncube (Zimbabwe), for violations that took place "in his capacity as Zimbabwe's Minister of State for National Security."s Subsequently, on March 11, 2020, the Treasury Department designated Owen Ncube for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13469 (Zimbabwe Sanctions). |
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November 16, 2019 |
Human rights designation: Minister of Interior Julio Cesar Gandarilla Bermejo (Cuba), for "his involvement, by command responsibility, in gross violations of human rights in Venezuela."t Immediate family members Julio Cesar Gandarilla Sarmiento and Alejandro Gandarilla Sarmiento (children) publicly designated. |
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November 18, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Former Attorney General Amos Sitswila Wako (Kenya). Immediate family members Flora Ngaira (spouse) and Julius Wako (child) publicly designated. |
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December 3, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Former Minister of Communications, Infrastructure, and Housing Aleandro Sinibaldi (Guatemala), for having "engaged in and benefitted from public corruption in relation to his official duties and is now a fugitive from justice."u Immediate family members Maria Jose Saravia Mendoza (spouse) and Alejandro Sinibaldi Saravia (child) publicly designated; two minor children designated. |
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December 10, 2019 |
Corruption designations: Four individuals from three different countries: (1) Former President of the Judicial Disciplinary Board and Senator Oscar Gonzalez Daher (Paraguay), (2) former Attorney General Javier Diaz Veron (Paraguay), and government "officials" (3) Kun Kim (Cambodia) and (4) Aivars Lembergs (Latvia).v Oscar Gonzalez Daher's family members Nelida Chaves de Gonzalez, Oscar Ruben Gonzalez Chaves, and Maria Gonzalez Chaves publicly designated. Javier Diaz Veron's family members (relationships unspecified) Maria Selva Morinigo, Yeruti Diaz Morinigo, Manuel Diaz Morinigo, and Alejandro Diaz Morinigo publicly designated; his minor child designated. Kun Kim's family members King Chandy (spouse), Kim Phara (child), and Kim Sophary (child) publicly designated. Aivars Lembergs's family members Kristine Lembergs (spouse), Anrijs Lembergs (child), and Liga Lembergs (child) designated. On December 9, 2019, the Treasury Department designated Kun Kim and three family members (King Chandy, Kim Phara, and Kim Sophary) for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). Treasury described Kim as a "senior General" in the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) who "used RCAF soldiers to intimidate, demolish, and clear-out land sought" by a Chinese state-owned entity, reaping, in turn, "significant financial benefit" from the state-owned entity, and using his "familial networks to create shadow structures to shield ill-gotten assets."w Concurrently, Treasury also designated Aivars Lembergs for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). Treasury described Lembergs as a "Latvian oligarch" and the Mayor of Ventspils, Latvia, since 1988 and that "he has been repeatedly accused of money laundering, bribery, and abuse of office."w Human rights designations: Former Saudi Consul General in Istanbul, Turkey, Mohammed al Otaibi (Saudi Arabia) for his role in Jamal Khashoggi's killing and, separately, Head of the Ministry of Affairs for the Chechen city of Grozny Aslan Iraskhanov (Chechen Republic of Russia), for "the summary execution of 27 men" in his "prior position as the head of the A.A. Kadyrov police unit."x On November 5, 2018, the Treasury Department designated Mohammed al Otaibi for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). |
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December 20, 2019 |
Corruption designation: Congressman Oscar Ramon Najera (Honduras), for having "engaged in and benefitted from public corruption related to the Honduran drug trafficking organization Los Cachiros."y Immediate family member Oscar Roberto Najera Lopez (child) publicly designated. |
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January 2, 2020 |
Human rights designation: Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) Leopoldo Cintra Frias (Cuba), for his role in "Cuba's actions to prop up the former Maduro regime in Venezuela," where MINFAR "has been involved in … torturing or subjecting Venezuelans to cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment for their anti-Maduro stances."z Immediate family members Deborah Cintra Gonzalez and Leopoldo Cintra Gonzalez (children) publicly designated. |
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January 13, 2020 |
Corruption designation: "former Moldovan official and oligarch" Vladimir Plahotniuc (Moldova), for having been "involved in corrupt acts that undermined the rule of law and severely compromised the independence of democratic institutions".aa Immediate family members Oxana Childescu (spouse) and Timofei Plahotniuc (child) publicly designated; his minor child designated. |
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January 18, 2020 |
Human rights designation: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Brigadier General and Khuzestan Province's Vali Asr Commander Hassan Shahvarpour (Iran), for "gross violations of human rights against protestors during the November [2019] protests in Mahshahr, Iran," where "IRGC units under Shahvarpour's command killed as many as 148 Iranians when they encircled fleeing protestors in armored vehicles, firing machine guns into the crowd and lighting fire to the marsh in which protestors took cover."bb The State Department press release noted that it based its public designation in part on information received through the Rewards for Justice tip line. On October 13, 2017, the Treasury Department designated the IRGC as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and subject to U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13224 (Terrorism Sanctions). On April 15, 2019, the State Department designated the IRGC as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. |
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January 29, 2020 |
Human rights designations: 13 former military personnel from El Salvador, ranging in military rank from general to private, for their involvement in "the planning and execution of the extrajudicial killings of six Jesuit priests and two others on November 16, 1989 on the campus of Central American University in El Salvador": (1) Juan Rafael Bustillo, (2) Juan Orlando Zepeda, (3) Inocente Orlando Montano Morales, (4) Francisco Elena Fuentes, (5) Guillermo Alfredo Benavides Moreno, (6) Yusshy René Mendoza Vallecillos, (7) José Ricardo Espinoza Guerra, (8) Gonzalo Guevara Cerritos, (9) Carlos Camilo Hernández Barahona, (10) Oscar Mariano Amaya Grimaldi, (11) Antonio Ramiro Avalos Vargas, (12) Angel Pérez Vásquez, and (13) José Alberto Sierra Ascencio.cc |
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January 31, 2020 |
Human rights designation: Paul Christian Makonda (Tanzania) for violations that occurred "in his capacity as the Regional Commissioner of Dar es Salaam."dd Immediate family member Mary Felix Massenge (spouse) publicly designated. |
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February 5, 2020 |
Corruption designation: Specialized Criminal Court Judge Andon Mitalov (Bulgaria), for having been "involved in corrupt acts that undermined the rule of law and severely compromised the independence of democratic institutions."ee Immediate family members Kornelia Stoykova-Mitalova (spouse) and Gergana Mitalova (child) publicly designated. |
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February 14, 2020 |
Human rights designation: Commander of the Army and Acting Chief of Defense Staff Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva (Sri Lanka), due to "his involvement, through command responsibility" of extrajudicial killings "by the 58th Division of the Sri Lanka Army during the final phase of Sri Lanka's Civil War in 2009."ff His immediate family members designated; however, their names do not appear in the press release. |
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February 28, 2020 |
Corruption designation: Former governor of the Mexican state of Nayarit Roberto Sandoval Castañeda (Mexico), for having "misappropriated state assets and received bribes from narcotics trafficking organizations, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel … [and] Beltran Leyva Organization."gg Immediate family members Ana Lilia Lopez Torres (spouse), Lidy Alejandra Sandoval Lopez (child), and Pablo Roberto Sandoval Lopez (child) publicly designated. On May 17, 2019, the Treasury Department designated Roberto Sandoval Castañeda and three family members (Ana Lilia Lopez Torres, Lidy Alejandra Sandoval Lopez, and Pablo Roberto Sandoval Lopez) for U.S. sanctions under E.O. 13818 (Global Magnitsky Sanctions). |
Sources: CRS compilation, based on publicly available press releases and documents on the U.S. Department of State website, www. state.gov, and U.S. Department of the Treasury website, www.home.treasury.gov.
Notes: State Department press releases announcing public 7031(c) designations may not include information on the nature of the purported corrupt acts or human rights violations at issue. When available, this chronology includes a description of such information. Treasury press releases on the designation of individuals subject to U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) may include additional information and context.
a. U.S. Department of the Treasury, "Treasury Sanctions Two Individuals and Five Entities Under Global Magnitsky," press release, June 12, 2018.
b. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Nikola Spiric Under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Act of 2018," press release, September 10, 2018.
c. U.S. Department of the Treasury, "United States Sanctions Human Rights Abuses and Corrupt Actors Across the Globe," press release, December 21, 2017.
d. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Significant Corruption, of Nicaragua's Roberto Jose Rivas Reyes," press release, December 12, 2018.
e. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Goran Radosavljevic Under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2018 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act," press release, December 18, 2018.
f. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of, and Visa Restrictions Placed on, Multiple Officials of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, Human Rights Violations or Abuses, or Undermining Democracy," press release, February 22, 2019.
g. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Sixteen Saudi Individuals Under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act," press release, April 8, 2019.
h. US. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Gross Violation of Human Rights, of Muslim Khuchiev, the Chairman of the Government of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation," press release, April 25, 2019.
i. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of Malawan Official Uladi Basikolo Mussa," press release, July 3, 2019.
j. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of the Republic of Cameroon's Jean Claude Ango Ango," press release, July 9, 2019.
k. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Gross Violations of Human Rights, of Burmese Military Officials," press release, July 16, 2019.
l. U.S Department of State, "Public Designation of Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe under Section 7031(c) of the FY2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act," press release, August 1, 2019.
m. U.S. Department of State, "The United States Publicly Designates Venezuela's Rafael Enrique Bastardo Mendoza and Ivan Rafael Hernandez Dala for Gross Violations of Human Rights," press release, August 2, 2019.
n. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Sudan's Salah Gosh under Section 7031(c)," press release, August 14, 2019.
o. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights of Vladimir Yermolayev and Stepan Tkach, Officials of the Investigative Committee in the Russian Federation," press release, September 10, 2019.
p. U.S. State Department, "Public Designation, Due to Gross Violations of Human Rights, of Kale Kayihura of Uganda," press release, September 13, 2019.
q. U.S. Department of the Treasury, "Treasury Sanctions Former Ugandan Inspector General of Police for Role in Serious Human Rights Abuse and Corruption," press release, September 13, 2019.
r. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Raul Castro, Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights," press release, September 26, 2019.
s. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Owen Ncube, Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights, Under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act," press release, October 25, 2019.
t. U.S Department of State, "Public Designation of Julio Cesar Gandarilla Bermejo Under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations List," press release, November 16, 2019.
u. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of Former Guatemalan Minister Alejandro Sinibaldi," press release, December 3, 2019.
v. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designations Due to Significant Corruption of Latvian and Cambodian Officials," press release, December 10, 2019.
w. U.S. Department of the Treasury, "Treasury Sanctions Corruption and Material Support Networks," press release, December 9, 2019.
x. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designations of Current and Former Foreign Government Officials Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights Under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act," press release, December 10, 2019.
y. U. S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of Honduran Congressman Oscar Ramon Najera," press release, December 20, 2019.
z. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Leopoldo Cintra Frias Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights," press release, January 2, 2020.
aa. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of Former Moldovan Official Plahotniuc," press release, January 13, 2020.
bb. U.S. Department of State, "Designation of IRGC Commander Shahvarpour for Gross Human Rights Violations During Protests," press release, January 18, 2020. Previously, on September 4, 2019, the State Department's Rewards for Justice program advertised the availability of up to $15 million for information leading to the disruption of IRGC financial mechanisms.
cc. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of Thirteen Former Salvadoran Military Officials Due to Involvement in Gross Violations of Human Rights," press release, January 29, 2020.
dd. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Gross Violations of Human Rights of Paul Christian Makonda of Tanzania," press release, January 31, 2020.
ee. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption, of Bulgarian Judge Andon Mitalov," press release, February 5, 2020.
ff. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation, Due to Gross Violations of Human Rights, of Shavendra Silva of Sri Lanka Under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Approprations Act," press release, February 14, 2020.
gg. U.S. Department of State, "Public Designation of the Former Governor of the Mexican State of Nayarit, Roberto Sandoval Castañeda, Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption," press release, February 28, 2020.