President Trump to sign Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act in response to China’s persecution of Muslim Uyghurs.

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According to CBN News, the Trump administration will sign the “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Acts” this upcoming week – legislation that was passed through both houses of the usually contentious Congress.

The passage of the “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Acts” is the first legislation passed by any nation that has addressed Uyghur’s political, economic, social and religious rights and persecution by China’s communist party. The significance of the new act is the ability to impose Magnitsky sanctions against Chinese officials who have been responsible for persecuting religious and ethnic minorities in China.

The Russia and Moldova Jackson–Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 (Magnitsky Act) authorizes the US government to sanction individuals who perpetrate human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and can ban individuals from entering the US.

Uyghurs are an ethnic minority in China that practice Islam and in recent years (since approximately Spring of 2017), China’s communist regime has been forcing Uyghurs to denounce their religious practices and adopt more non-traditional way of life. According to CBN, more than 3 million Uyghurs are being detained against their will.

What is the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act?

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Short Answer: The Global Magnitsky Act is a US effort to stop human rights abuses and corrupt actors by allowing President Trump to impose sanctions against parties involved in human rights violations and corruption around the world.

This Act sounds familiar, how is it different from the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 (“Magnitsky Act”)? The Magnitsky Act was only targeting human rights abusers in Russia. The Global Magnitsky Act applies to human rights abusers and corrupt actors globally.

Long Answer: President Trump signed Executive Order 13818 titled “Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuses or Corruption” on December 20, 2017 implementing the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (“Global Magnitsky Act”).

The passage of the Global Magnitsky Act authorizes President Trump to impose sanctions on individuals, governments or other entities who commit human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings, torture, gross violations of human rights. Additionally, this act also applies to parties who are involved in significant corruption such as expropriation of assets for personal gain, corruption in government contracts, bribery or other acts of corruption.

In late December, OFAC also designated 52 new parties as SDN’s as part of the Global Magnitsky Act and the Executive Order. If you are in trade compliance, be sure to check out the new OFAC designated parties as the updated list includes parties from the following countries: The Gambia, South Sudan, Russia, Nicaragua, China, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

These designations are the first under the Global Magnitsky Act and won’t be the last.

Click the below link for the U.S. Department of Treasury sanction list and other OFAC information:

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/SDN-List/Pages/default.aspx

If you have any questions about compliance with the new or old Magnitsky Act, OFAC, SDN or blocked persons or any general trade compliance matters, call 832.896.6288 or e-mail attorney.dave@yahoo.com