On April 20, 2017, one week after the last amendments, the Government of Canada has further amended its sanctions against Syria, which are contained in the Special Economic Measures (Syria) Regulations (the “Regulations”) made pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act.
The amendments add 17 individuals and five entities to the list of designated persons in Schedule 1 of the Regulations. According to a Government of Canada press release, the newly listed individuals are all high-ranking individuals in the Assad regime, and the listed entities have been linked to the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The Government of Canada considers the amendments part of international efforts to end violence by the Assad regime against its own people.
Under the Regulations, persons in Canada and Canadians outside Canada are subject to a number of prohibitions on dealings with designated persons, as well as disclosure requirements with regard to certain property or information related to designated persons.
An unofficial copy of the amendments can be found here.
