Sanctions against Yemen

Description of the sanctions

The sanctions involve an arms embargo, travel restrictions, the freezing of assets and a prohibition on providing access to assets for the persons designated by the United Nations Sanctions Committee for Yemen.

1. Arms embargo

The direct or indirect sale, supply or other provision of arms and arms-related equipment, including military vehicles and paramilitary equipment, is prohibited to persons and entities listed by the UN Sanctions Committee for Yemen. Corresponding prohibitions also include persons acting on behalf of, or under the direction of, these listed persons. It is also prohibited to provide technical or financial assistance to the same sphere of persons.

Within the framework of international law, Member States are to inspect cargo bound for Yemen within their own territory, including ports and airports, when reasonable grounds exist to assume the cargo contains prohibited goods as outlined above. Upon discovery, the goods are to be seized and removed.

2. Freezing of assets and travel restrictions

Persons who may be subject to the sanctions are those conducting or providing support to acts that threaten peace, security or stability in Yemen through acts that in various ways obstruct or undermine the successful completion of the political transition as outlined in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and Implementation Mechanism Agreement, or through planning, directing or committing acts that violate human rights or international humanitarian law in Yemen.

Persons who provide support to the acts outlined above may be subject to the freezing of assets. The freezing mechanism may also include persons and entities that are instructed to commit any of the above acts, and entities that are owned or controlled by a person who commits any of the above acts.

Exemptions from travel restrictions may be made by the Sanctions Committee on humanitarian grounds or where entry or transit would further the objectives of peace and national reconciliation in Yemen.

Exemptions from the rules concerning the freezing of assets may be made by EU Member States for basic needs and, in certain cases, to fulfil previously agreed obligations.

Competent Swedish authorities

Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) approves permits for exemption from the freezing of assets of natural persons, but not for routine administration (see Finansinspektionen).

The National Board of Trade approves permits for exemption from the freezing of assets of legal entities. However, this does not concern routine administration matters (see Finansinspektionen).

Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority) receives information about frozen accounts and approves permits for exemption from the freezing of assets in matters concerning routine administration.

The Swedish Migration Agency and Sweden's missions abroad are responsible for applying the travel restrictions.