Igor Makarov Removed from Sanctions

Summary#

The federal government removed Igor Viktorovich Makarov from the list of people targeted by the Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations. The change took effect on August 4, 2023, and his name was removed from Canada’s consolidated sanctions list.

What it does#

• Removes the listing of Igor Viktorovich Makarov from Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations.
• Updates the consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List to reflect that removal.
• The amendment came into force on the day it was registered: August 4, 2023.

Who's affected#

• Igor Viktorovich Makarov — he is the person being delisted. The government says he renounced Russian citizenship and has not lived in Russia since 2013, so he no longer met the rules for being listed.
• Banks, businesses and other people in Canada that were previously prohibited from dealing with him may now be able to do so without the special permit or restrictions that applied while he was listed.
• Enforcement bodies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency are responsible for applying and updating sanctions lists, but this amendment is a routine delisting rather than a new sanction.
• It is unclear from the notice whether any other third parties will feel effects beyond the removal of restrictions tied directly to this individual.

Why it matters#

• Being on the sanctions list meant an effective asset freeze and a ban on transactions or services with Canadians or people in Canada. Removing someone from the list lifts those specific Canadian restrictions for that person.
• For businesses and banks, the delisting removes a small administrative burden tied to permits and compliance checks for dealing with the individual.
• The change shows that Canada updates sanctions lists when a person’s situation—here, citizenship and residence—no longer meets the criteria for being designated. Overall, this is a narrow, targeted administrative change rather than a broad policy shift.