Sanctions Misuse: The Dubious Lifting of U.S. Targeted Sanctions

Event

August 14, 2025

Date & Time:
Thursday, August 21, 2025
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Event Description:
Under the new Trump administration, the U.S. government has made little use of targeted sanctions programs—such as Global Magnitsky—and other policy tools meant to hold alleged perpetrators of human rights abuse and corruption accountable. Equally alarming has been the willingness to lift sanctions and other measures previously put in place, often with little or no public explanation.

Recent actions across multiple U.S. agencies include:

Removing a “withhold-release order” on sugar imports from a Dominican company allegedly involved in forced labor
Lifting Global Magnitsky sanctions on a senior Hungarian official allegedly involved in corruption
Lifting sanctions on Burmese individuals and companies close to the ruling regime, and on the wife of a sanctioned Russian billionaire
Eliminating the entire sanctions program focused on violence against civilians and other destabilizing acts in the West Bank
Civil society leaders who have advocated for accountability on these issues will discuss these and other recent U.S. actions.

Featuring:
Tjaša Feher, EU Advocacy Manager, European Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability
Justyna Gudzowska, Executive Director, The Sentry
Michael Omer-Man, Director of Research for Israel-Palestine, DAWN
Charity Ryerson, Executive Director and Founder, Corporate Accountability Lab
Adam Keith, Senior Director for Accountability, Human Rights First (moderator)

They will discuss:

How recent developments are affecting their work and that of their partners
Other potential sanctions delistings that have been reported or are anticipated
Opportunities for congressional oversight and media scrutiny
Potential reforms to encourage consistent, constructive use of policy tools and to discourage misuse

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