On 20 June 2025, the Swiss Federal Council announced that Switzerland is lifting its economic sanctions against Syria (see press release here). This decision is a move to align Switzerland with the EU’s decision of 27 May 2025 (see blog post here). The revision follows the initial easing of specific sanctions related to Syria’s energy and transport sectors, as well as certain financial services and banking relationships, implemented on 7 March 2025 (see press release here).…
On June 16, the Government of Canada announced an aggressive sanctions package, effective as of June 13, 2025, implementing a number of amendments to the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations (the “Regulations”). These amendments designated a further 116 individuals and entities, which Canada has described as follows: Kremlin enablers and oligarchs, persons involved in the development of sensitive dual-use quantum technology, beneficiaries of the illegal war in Ukraine, ‘Shadow Fleet’ enablers, banks and foreign financial…
On June 10, 2025, the Government of Canada announced the addition of two individuals to the Special Economic Measures (Extremist Settler Violence) Regulation (the “Regulations”). The amended Regulations entered into force the same day. Canada designated Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, and Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Minister of Finance, for their alleged facilitation of the “expansion of settlements and outposts in the West Bank and “contributing to a more permissive environment for higher…
On 1 June 2025, the revised Swiss Ordinance on Measures against Belarus (“Belarus Ordinance”) entered into force, thereby implementing the EU’s latest Belarus sanctions. These sanctions had been adopted alongside the EU’s 16th sanctions package against Russia on 24 February 2025, which Switzerland implemented on 15 May 2025 (see blog post here). With this revision of the Belarus Ordinance, Switzerland continues to align its sanctions regime against Belarus with the sanctions against Russia, thereby preventing…