The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned 5 Bulgarian individuals, including their immediate families, as well as 64 entities owned and controlled by them, due to their involvement in significant corruption.
In its official press release, the Treasury Department designated some prominent names, including oligarch Vassil Bojkov, former MP Delyan Slavchev Peevski, and public official Ilko Dimitrov Zhelyazkov.
The subjects that were sanctioned were mainly private companies owned by them, including media groups.
According to American authorities, these individuals, as well as their accomplices, have exploited public posts and have been engaged in high-level corruption.
In its announcement, the US Treasury Department highlights that corruption “degrades rule of law, weakens the economy and its growth, weakens democratic institutions, perpetuates violent conflicts and deprives innocent civilians of fundamental human rights”, adding that “U.S. government will continue to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who engage in corruption and work to protect the global financial system from abuse.”
"Not only does corruption deprive citizens of resources, it can erode the institutions intended to protect them."
Today, we announced the single largest sanctions action targeting corruption to date, demonstrating ongoing effort to hold accountable those involved in corruption.
— Treasury Department (@USTreasury) June 2, 2021
This is the largest action taken on a single day in the history of the Magnitsky Act.
The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act was issued in December 2017 and is taken when human rights abuse and corruption that have their source outside the United States reach a certain level that threatens the stability of international political and economic systems.
As a result, property of the sanctioned individuals, as well as interest on the properties, which are located in the United States will be blocked.
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