By John Lee.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has taken action against Libyan Mahmud al-Warfalli (al-Warfalli).
In a statement, OFAC said:
"Mahmud al-Warfalli (al-Warfalli) serves as a commander of a militia known as the al-Saiqa Brigade. Al-Warfalli is designated for being a foreign person who is responsible for, is complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in serious human rights abuse.
"Since 2016, al-Warfalli has carried out or ordered the killings of 43 unarmed detainees in eight separate incidents. Many of these killings were filmed and published on social media. On January 24, 2018, al-Warfalli was filmed carrying out a mass execution of ten unarmed detainees in Benghazi.
"After al-Warfalli shot each detainee in the head one by one, al-Warfalli fired freely at the group of ten executed detainees. On July 17, 2017, al-Warfalli ordered the methodical execution of 20 kneeling and unarmed detainees. In several of the incidents, al-Warfalli continued to shoot at detainees after they were executed."
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the individuals named above, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other designated persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons.
GLOBAL MAGNITSKY
Building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, on December 20, 2017, the President signed E.O. 13818, in which the President found that the prevalence of human rights abuse and corruption which have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, had reached such scope and gravity that it threatens the stability of international political and economic systems.
Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets.
The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons.
For more information on the individuals and entities designated today.
(Source: US Treasury Dept)
