Individual Removed from Russia Sanctions List

Summary#

The Government of Canada published final amendments (SOR/2023-237) that remove Item 481 from Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations. In plain terms, one person has been taken off Canada’s Russia sanctions list, and the related restrictions were lifted when the change came into force on November 9, 2023 (registered; published November 22, 2023).

What it does#

• Repeals Item 481 of Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations, removing one individual from the sanctions list.
• Removes the prohibitions that applied to listed persons, which had prevented:
  • dealing in their property,
  • entering into transactions with them,
  • providing them services,
  • making goods available to them.
• Notes the delisting followed an application and a review by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who determined there were reasonable grounds to recommend removal. The Regulations allow the Minister to decide on such applications within 90 days.

Who's affected#

• The unnamed individual who was removed from Schedule 1.
• Any Canadians, people in Canada, or Canadian businesses that had been barred from doing business with or providing services to that person.
• Global Affairs Canada, which will update the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List to reflect the removal.
• It is unclear whether any Canadians were actively doing business with this person; the government says such activity is unlikely.

Why it matters#

• For the individual, it lifts travel and financial restrictions tied to the sanctions and allows normal commercial or financial dealings with Canadians.
• For Canadians and Canadian businesses, it removes legal barriers to interacting with that person.
• The change is a narrow, targeted adjustment to ensure Canada’s sanctions list matches the legal criteria for listing and to keep the delisting process fair and transparent.