OFAC Sanctions Several Entities And Individuals For Serious Human Rights Abuses

On December 10, 2021, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 15 individuals and 10 entities in several countries for their connection to human rights abuse and repression. In addition, OFAC imposed investment restrictions on one Chinese company in connection with the surveillance technology sector

In China, OFAC has placed on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List: (i) Shohrat Zakir, who served as the Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China (XUAR) from at least 2018 until 2021; and (ii) Erken Tuniyaz, who currently serves as the acting Chairman of the XUAR. OFAC states that during their tenures, "more than one million Uyghurs and members of other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups have been detained in Xinjiang. The Department of State has also placed visa restrictions on these two individuals."