Financial Sanctions Notice Nicaragua 7 May 2020

Nicaragua

Introduction 

1. Council Regulation (EU) 2020/606 (“the Regulation”) imposing financial sanctions in view of the situation in Nicaragua has been amended so that an asset freeze now applies to the persons listed in the Annex to this Notice.

Notice summary (Full details are provided in the Annex to this Notice) 

2. The following entries have been added and are subject to an asset freeze:

• Ramón Antonio AVELLÁN  MEDAL (Group ID: 13834)
• Sonia CASTRO GONZÁLEZ (Group ID: 13835)
• Francisco Javier DÍAZ MADRIZ (Group ID: 13836)
• Néstor MONCADA LAU (Group ID: 13837)
• Luis PÉREZ OLIVAS (Group ID: 13838)
• Justo PASTOR URBINA (Group ID: 13839)

What you must do  

3. You must:  

• check whether you maintain any accounts or hold any funds or economic resources for the persons set out in the Annex to this Notice
• freeze such accounts, and other funds or economic resource
• refrain from dealing with the funds or assets or making them available (directly or indirectly) to such persons unless licensed by the Minister for External Relations (“MER”)
• report any findings to MER, together with any additional information that would facilitate compliance with the Regulation
• provide any information concerning the frozen assets of designated persons that MER may request. Information reported to MER may be passed on to other regulatory authorities or law enforcement 

4. Failure to comply with financial sanctions legislation or to seek to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Legislative details

5. The Regulation is implemented in Jersey by the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Nicaragua) (Jersey) Order 2019 (“the Nicaragua Order”), made under the Sanctions and Asset-Freezing (Jersey) Law 2019 (“SAF(J)L”).

6. On 4 May 2020 Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/606 (“the Amending Regulation”) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (O.J. L 139 I, 04.05.2020 p1) by the Council of the European Union.

7. The Amending Regulation amended Annex I to the Regulation with effect from 4 May 2020.  Any changes to the Annex are effective immediately in Jersey by virtue of the ambulatory provisions of the Nicaragua Order.

Further Information

8. A copy of the Amending Regulation can be obtained from the website of the Official Journal of the European Union.

9. Copies of Jersey sanctions Orders and other legislation, including the Nicaragua Order and SAF(J)L, can be found on the Jersey Legal Information Board website.

10. Copies of recent Notices, EU Regulations and Jersey legislation can be found on the Nicaragua financial sanctions page on the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) website.

11. Please note there are also import and export restrictions on Nicaragua.

12. For more information please see the Jersey Financial Services Commission guidance on financial sanctions.

Enquiries 

13. Non-media enquiries, reports and licence applications should be addressed to: 
Head of International Compliance
Office of the Chief Executive
External Relations
sanctions@gov.je

ANNEX TO NOTICE 

Financial sanctions: Nicaragua
Council implementing regulation (EU) 2020/606 
Amending annex I to council regulation (EU) 2019/1716

Additions

Individuals:

1. AVELLAN MEDAL, Ramon Antonio DOB: 11/11/1954. POB: Jinotepe, Nicaragua Passport Details: A0008696. Issued: 17 October 2011. Expires: 17 October 2021. Position: Deputy Director-General of the Nicaraguan National Police (NNP) Other Information: Gender: male. Former chief of the police in Masaya. Responsible for coordinating the repression of protesters in Masaya in 2018. Listed on: 05/05/2020 Last Updated: 05/05/2020 Group ID: 13834
2. CASTRO GONZALEZ, Sonia DOB: 29/09/1967. POB: Carazo, Nicaragua Passport Details: A00001526. Issued: 19 November 2019. Expires: 19 November 2028. National Identification no: 0422909670000N Position: Special advisor to the President of Nicaragua on health issues Other Information: Gender: female. Former Minister of Health. Responsible for hindering access to emergency medical assistance for injured civilians involved in demonstrations and ordering hospital staff to report demonstrators who have been brought to hospital by the police. Listed on: 05/05/2020 Last Updated: 05/05/2020 Group ID: 13835
3. DIAZ MADRIZ, Francisco Javier DOB: 03/08/1961. Position: General Director of the Nicaraguan National Police (NNP) since 23 August 2018 Other Information: Gender: male. Former Deputy General Director of NNP. Responsible for leading police forces committing violence against civilians, including excessive use of force, arbitrary arrests and detentions and torture. Listed on: 05/05/2020 Last Updated: 05/05/2020 Group ID: 13836
4. MONCADA LAU, Nestor DOB: 02/03/1954. Position: Personal advisor to the President of Nicaragua on national security matters Other Information: Gender: male. Has been directly involved in and responsible for decision-making on national security matters and the establishment of repressive policies carried out by the State of Nicaragua against people taking part in demonstrations, opposition representatives and journalists in Nicaragua from April 2018 onwards. Listed on: 05/05/2020 Last Updated: 05/05/2020 Group ID: 13837
5. PASTOR URBINA, Justo DOB: 29/01/1956. Position: Head of Police Special Operations Unit (DOEP) Other Information: Gender: male. Has been directly involved in the implementation of repressive policies against demonstrators and the opposition in Nicaragua, particularly in Managua. Listed on: 05/05/2020 Last Updated: 05/05/2020 Group ID: 13839
6. PEREZ OLIVAS, Luis DOB: 08/01/1956. Position: General Commissioner and Legal Assistance Main Officer (DAEJ) in the ‘El Chipote’ penitentiary centre Other Information: Gender: male. Responsible for torture, use of extensive force, mistreatment of detainees and other forms of degrading treatment. Listed on: 05/05/2020 Last Updated: 05/05/2020 Group ID: 13838

Ministry of External Relations

07/05/2020