Multinational companies conducting internal sanctions investigations are facing a range of challenges interviewing employees due to a rising “divergence” among different governments’ sanctions regimes, Baker McKenzie said in a June client alert. Sanctions investigations “require a nuanced understanding of the applicable and often multi-faceted sanctions laws” across the U.S., Germany, the U.K. and other European nations, the law firm said. Investigators, for example, may face hurdles from data protection laws in the EU, and they may need to take into account “cultural norms and language barriers” when conducting cross-border interviews. “Cultural customs may require the interviewer to conform to cultural norms,” the firm said, “meaning that interpretation of non-verbal employee behavior for example, should be modulated accordingly.”

The State Department last week labeled the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM), a Sweden-based neo-Nazi group, and three of its leaders as specially designated global terrorists.

The U.S. government is sanctioning four people with links to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), including members of an ISIS-linked human smuggling network, the State and Treasury departments announced last week.

The U.K. on June 13 added 42 entries to its Russia sanctions regime, imposing restrictions on seven individuals and 35 entities, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced.

The U.K. added two entities to its Central African Republic sanctions regime June 13, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation announced. The entities are Diamville and Wood International Group Sarlu, both associates of the paramilitary Wagner Group.

A group of European countries not in the EU aligned with the bloc's recent extension of its sanctions on Syria until June 1, 2025, the Council of the European Union announced. North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway also imposed the decision, the council said.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned one of Guyana’s wealthiest families, their company, a Guyanese government official and two other other companies for ties to corruption. The sanctions target people and companies that have tried to “exploit Guyana’s underdeveloped gold sector for personal gain,” said Brian Nelson, the Treasury Department’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control this week sanctioned shipping companies, shipowners, vessels and others based in China, the United Arab Emirates, India and elsewhere for helping to transport oil and commodities for Sa’id al-Jamal (see 2312280012, 2401120015 and 2403260016), a financial facilitator for the Yemen-based Houthis. OFAC said the network helps to forge shipping documents and hide their cargo origin to evade U.S. sanctions.

The U.S. last week removed sanctions from a Swiss business consultant, his two sons and his companies because they ended their business in Russia, a Treasury Department spokesperson said.

Switzerland, following the EU's lead, sanctioned two people and one entity for allegedly spreading propaganda promoting Russia's war in Ukraine. The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs listed former Ukrainian politicians Artem Marchevskyi and Viktor Medvedchuk, along with the Voice of Europe media outlet. The EU sanctioned these same parties last month (see 2405280062). Switzerland also amended the listings of 12 people and 17 entities under its Russia sanctions regime.