On July 15, 2020, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated three individuals and five entities located in Sudan, Hong Kong, and Thailand, for enabling Yevgeniy Prigozhin to evade US sanctions. Prigozhin is a Russian businessman who was designated pursuant to Executive Orders 13848, 13634, as amended, and 13661, for financing the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the Russian troll farm that was also designated by OFAC in 2018. Prigozhin is accused of exploiting Sudan’s natural resources for personal gain, and all eight designees have directly supported Prigozhin’s operations in Sudan, his attempts to suppress and discredit Sudanese protestors who seek democratic reform, and his efforts to evade sanctions.
In April 2019, the Sudanese people peacefully ousted the former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and replaced him with a civilian-led transition government that respects human rights and equality for the Sudanese people. These eight designations are intended to prevent Prigozhin from interfering with Sudan’s transition to a democratic government, and Sudan’s efforts to regain control over its natural resources and national assets.
As a result of these designations, all US property belonging to these individuals and entities is blocked, and all transactions in the US are generally prohibited. Furthermore, any entity that is owned 50 percent or more by one or more designated individuals is blocked, and any person who transacts with a designated person or entity may themselves be exposed to sanctions.