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FORMER LIBERIAN

REGIME OF

CHARLES TAYLOR

SANCTIONS

PROGRAM

This document is explanatory only and does not have the force of law. Executive Order 13348, applicable laws, and the implementing regulations pertaining to the Former Liberian Regime of Charles Taylor (31 C.F.R. Part 593) contain the legally binding provisions governing these sanctions. This document does not supplement or modify the Executive Order or regulations.

Updated May 27, 2014

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Contents

I. INTRODUCTION 3 II. OVERVIEW OF AUTHORITIES 3 III. PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS 3 IV. AUTHORIZED TRANSACTIONS 4 V. PENALTIES 4 3

SANCTIONS AGAINST

THE FORMER LIBERIAN REGIME OF CHARLES TAYLOR

I. INTRODUCTION

The former Liberian regime of Charles Taylor sanctions program implemented by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) began on July 22, 2004, when the President issued Executive Order 13348 (“E.O. 13348”)

(“Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Importation of Certain Goods from Liberia”). The President issued E.O. 13348 to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States posed by the actions and policies of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and other persons. II. OVERVIEW OF AUTHORITIES

On July 22, 2004, the President issued E.O. 13348 invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. §1701 et seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.), and section 5 of the United Nations Participation Act, as amended (22 U.S.C. 287c) (“UNPA”). E.O. 13348 also noted United Nations Security Council Resolution (“UNSCR”) 1521 and UNSCR 1532 which, inter alia, directed member states to impose an asset freeze on certain senior members of former Liberian President Charles Taylor's government and certain other persons and to prevent the importation into their territories of all rough diamonds, round logs, and timber products originating in Liberia. In UNSCR 1689 of June 20, 2006, the United Nations Security Council lifted its requirements concerning the importation of round logs and timber products set forth in UNSCR 1521. In accordance with that decision, OFAC subsequently authorized certain round log and timber product importation into the United States. Similarly, in UNSCR 1753 of April 27, 2007, the United Nations Security Council lifted its requirements concerning diamond imports from Liberia. Since May 2007, when Liberia became an approved Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (“KPCS”) participant, rough diamond imports into the United States have been permitted, provided they are made in compliance with the KPCS and the Rough Diamonds Controls Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 592.

On May 23, 2007, OFAC issued the Former Liberian Regime of Charles Taylor Sanctions Regulations to implement E.O. 13348. See 31 C.F.R. Part 593 (the “Regulations”). This fact sheet is a broad summary of the sanctions imposed pursuant to the national emergency declared in E.O. 13348 that are currently in place. For an updated list of authorities and sanctions, please refer to OFAC’s Web site http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/liberia.aspx. III. PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS

E.O. 13348 blocks the property and interests in property in the United States, or in the possession or control of United States persons, of the persons listed in the Annex to E.O. 13348 (the “Annex”), as well as of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of State:

• To be or have been an immediate family member of Charles Taylor;

• To have been a senior official of the former Liberian regime headed by Charles Taylor or otherwise to have been or be a close ally or associate of Charles Taylor or the former Liberian regime;

• To have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the unlawful depletion of Liberian resources, the removal of Liberian resources from that country, and the secreting of Liberian funds and property by any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13348; or

• To be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13348. 4

The names of persons listed in the Annex or designated pursuant to E.O. 13348, whose property and interests in property are therefore blocked, are published in the Federal Register and incorporated into OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (“SDN List”) with the identifier “[LIBERIA].” The SDN List can be searched online at http://sdnsearch.ofac.treas.gov/Default.aspx. Unless otherwise authorized or exempt, transactions by U.S. persons, or in or involving the United States, are prohibited if they involve transferring, paying, exporting, withdrawing, or otherwise dealing in the property or interests in property of an entity or individual listed on the SDN List. The property and interests in property of an entity that is 50% or more owned, directly or indirectly, by a person on the SDN List are also blocked, regardless of whether the entity itself is listed.

IV. AUTHORIZED TRANSACTIONS

GENERAL LICENSES

OFAC may authorize certain types or categories of activities and transactions that would otherwise be prohibited with respect to persons blocked under the former Liberian regime of Charles Taylor sanctions program by issuing a general license. General licenses may be published in the Regulations, on OFAC’s Web site, or both. For example, on June 20, 2006, the United Nations Security Council decided to lift its requirements concerning the importation of round logs or timber products set forth in paragraph 10 of UNSCR 1521. In accordance with the decision of the Security Council in UNSCR 1689, OFAC issued a general license authorizing all importations into the United States of round logs and timber products originating in Liberia provided that the importation does not involve any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to 31 C.F. R Part 593. See 31 C.F.R. § 593.510. For an updated list of all general licenses relating to the former Liberian regime of Charles Taylor sanctions program, please see 31 C.F.R. Part 593 subpart E and visit: http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/liberia.aspx. SPECIFIC LICENSES

On a case-by-case basis, OFAC considers applications for specific licenses to authorize transactions that are neither exempt nor covered by a general license. Requests for a specific license must be submitted to OFAC’s Licensing Division. License requests may be submitted using any of these three methods:

• Online: http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Pages/licensing.aspx

• Fax: 202-***-****

• U.S. mail: Assistant Director for Licensing, Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20220 V. PENALTIES

Civil monetary penalties of up to the greater of $250,000 or twice the amount of the underlying transaction may be imposed administratively against any person who violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of E.O. 13348 or the Regulations. Upon conviction, criminal fines of up to $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both, may be imposed on any person who willfully commits or attempts to commit, or willfully conspires to commit, or aids or abets in the commission of a violation of E.O. 13348 or the Regulations. Under the UNPA, criminal violations of E.O. 13348 or the Regulations may result in fines of up to $1,000,000, imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both.

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This document is explanatory only and does not have the force of law. Please see particularly Executive Order 13348 and the implementing Regulations pertaining to the Former Liberian Regime of Charles Taylor (31 C.F.R. Part 593), among other applicable laws, for legally binding provisions governing the sanctions. This document does not supplement or modify the Executive order or the implementing Regulations. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also administers sanctions programs involving the Balkans, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rough Diamond Trading (Kimberley Process), Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, the Magnitsky Act, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen and Zimbabwe, as well as highly enriched uranium, persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism, international narcotics traffickers, Foreign Terrorist Organizations, Terrorism List Governments, transnational criminal organizations, and proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters. For additional information about these programs or about sanctions involving the Former Liberian Regime of Charles Taylor, please contact: OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL

U.S. Department of the Treasury

Washington, D.C. 20220

www.treasury.gov/ofac

202/622-2490

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