Sanctions

European Union envoys are on the verge of approving a 20th round of sanctions against Russia in response to its ongoing war in Ukraine, with Slovakia and Hungary expected to withdraw their opposition following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline, according to EU diplomats. The bloc had initially aimed to adopt the package in time to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, underscoring the symbolic and political significance of the measures.

Deutsche Bank has disclosed to financial regulators that it identified potential violations of European Union sanctions rules involving deposits exceeding 100,000 euros from Russian clients. The lender uncovered these issues through an internal review within its retail banking division, initiated shortly after Germany tightened its national enforcement framework. This voluntary disclosure comes at a time of heightened pressure on the bank, including recent law enforcement rai

European policymakers are facing mounting pressure to overhaul trade regulations after revelations that an Irish refinery supplied raw materials to Russian smelters connected to sanctioned weapons manufacturers. The Belgian government has emerged at the forefront of efforts to push the European Union toward expanding its sanctions regime, seeking to block EU-origin materials from indirectly fueling Russia’s military operations. This diplomatic initiative follows investigative

Professional service providers in Australia, including real estate agents, accountants, and lawyers, now face the prospect of jail sentences and substantial fines if they fail to comply with autonomous sanctions and anti-money laundering (AML) directives. The high standards of due diligence are designed to prevent the flow of illicit funds and ensure that designated individuals and entities cannot access economic resources within the Australian economy. The Department of Fore

The United Kingdom government has imposed a sweeping £100 million asset freeze on Ali Ansari, a high-profile Iranian banker accused of supplying essential financial infrastructure to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The sanctions target an extensive international property empire, stretching from luxury mansions in London to high-end estates along Spain’s coastline. Authorities allege that Ansari orchestrated a sophisticated web of corporate entities designed to conceal

Authorities in the United Kingdom are under increasing pressure to examine the flow of illicit wealth into the country’s capital after revelations that a sanctioned individual associated with a global criminal organization acquired residential property valued at £12.7 million. The case centers on Yang Jian, who is linked to the Prince Group and reportedly used a Cypriot passport to establish a British company through which he purchased twelve adjoining homes and seventeen par

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have finalized a major agreement to resolve the long-running criminal proceedings against Halkbank concerning allegations that the institution helped circumvent international sanctions. The deferred prosecution agreement represents a pivotal moment in a legal battle that had once raised the prospect of multi-billion-dollar penalties against the Turkish state lender. Although the arrangement does not require an immediate payment or impose a def

Economic analysts and international regulatory authorities have uncovered an enormous web of illicit financial activity totaling approximately $350 billion, tied to systematic sanctions evasion and transnational criminal enterprises. This hidden financial infrastructure increasingly relies on digital assets to circumvent the oversight mechanisms embedded in the traditional banking system, enabling hostile governments and organized crime networks to transfer large amounts of m