Bermuda has joined the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation at HM Treasury in their targeting of the relative of the late Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein.

It is part of the Iraq (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.

It provides for imposition of financial sanctions, including the freezing of funds and economic resources of persons involved in the former government of Iraq and its state bodies, corporations or agencies.

A new sanctions alert distributed through the Bermuda Monetary Authority warns against dealing with Bashar Sabawi Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, son of the late Sabawi al-Tikriti, half-brother and presidential adviser to Saddam Hussein.

The Bermuda Financial Sanctions Implementation Unit notice is in concert with an update to Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office sanctions list.

Financial institutions are asked to check whether they maintain any accounts, or hold any funds or economic resources associated with Mr al-Tikriti.

Those that do are advised to freeze such accounts, and other funds or economic resources, and refrain from dealing with these funds, or making them available directly or indirectly to the person on the sanctions list.

The newly listed man falls under the requirements of Security Council resolution 1483 (2003) by virtue of him being an immediate family member of a senior former Iraqi regime official.

According to the websiteOpen Sanctions, after Operation Iraqi Freedom that began in March 2003, Mr al-Tikriti is suspected of supporting elements of the former regime and groups, carrying out attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and civilians.

The BMA notice board also put out an alert on people suspected of illicit cyber-activity including Aleksey Sergeyevich Morenets and Yevgeniy Mikhaylovich Serebriakov.

On October 3, 2018, a Pennsylvania federal grand jury returned an indictment against seven Russians for their alleged roles in hacking and related influence and disinformation operations targeting, among others, international anti-doping agencies, sporting federations, and anti-doping officials, including the men on the sanctions list.