Six Individuals Added to Russia Sanctions

Summary#

These final regulations (SOR/2024-40) add six named people to Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations. The changes were registered on February 29, 2024 and published in the Canada Gazette on March 13, 2024; they came into force when registered.

What it does#

• Adds these six individuals to the list of targeted people under the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations:
  • Vadim Konstantinovich Kalinin
  • Alexandr Vladimirovich Varapaev
  • Igor Borisovich Rakitin
  • Marina Andreyevna Bobek
  • Yekaterina Sergeyevna Frolova
  • Kirill Sergeevich Nikiforov
• Says these people have participated in gross and systematic human rights violations, and links them (according to the government) to the ill-treatment and death of Alexey Navalny.
• Prohibits anyone in Canada, and Canadians abroad, from:
  • dealing in the listed persons’ property;
  • entering into transactions with them;
  • providing them services or goods; or
  • transferring property to them.
• Makes the listed people inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
• Requires banks and other financial institutions to update their sanctions screening and monitoring to include the new names.
• Gives enforcement powers to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency and sets criminal penalties for knowing violations: up to $25,000, or up to one year on summary conviction, or up to five years on indictment.

Who's affected#

• The six named individuals (listed above) are directly targeted.
• Canadians and people in Canada who might otherwise do business with those individuals. That includes:
  • businesses and service providers;
  • banks and financial institutions that must screen transactions.
• The government department responsible for these measures is Global Affairs Canada, which expects limited direct economic impact because it believes the listed people have few ties to Canada.

Why it matters#

• This is Canada’s response to the reported death and treatment of Alexey Navalny and is meant to punish and deter people believed to be involved in human rights abuses.
• In practical terms, the named people cannot receive money, services, or goods from Canadians, and they cannot enter Canada.
• Financial institutions and some businesses will need to check the updated sanctions list to avoid illegal transactions.
• The measure is part of a coordinated approach with allies and signals Canada’s position on human rights in Russia.