Financial Sanctions: Afghanistan

This news release is issued in respect of the restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities in view of the situation in Afghanistan.

The European Commission has amended Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No. 753/2011 ("the 2011 Regulation") with effect from 17 July 2012. Annex I to the 2011 Regulation lists the persons, groups and entities covered by the freezing of funds and economic resources under that Regulation. The amendments reflect the decisions made on 11 June, 27 June and 28 June by the United Nations Sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) to add a further three individuals and two entities to, and remove two individuals from the UN list.

The individuals removed from Annex I are therefore no longer subject to the asset freeze imposed by the 2011 Regulation.

Details of the changes to Annex I are contained in the attached Annex to this news release.

Financial institutions and other persons are requested to check whether they maintain any accounts or otherwise hold funds or economic resources for the persons set out in the Annex and whose details have been added to Annex I to the 2011 Regulation. If so, they must freeze such accounts or funds and, unless licensed by the Treasury, refrain from dealing with said funds or economic resources. They must also report their findings to the Sanctions Officer at the Customs and Excise Division of the Treasury.

Further details of financial sanctions in respect of Afghanistan and links to the Consolidated List of individuals and entities subject to other financial regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.