Mr. Sanctions

Category: SECO (Switzerland)

  • May 21-22, 2026: Playing Follow the Leader with UN Al-Qaida sanctions removals…

    First, the UN made changes yesterday:

    Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Removes Seven Entries from Its Sanctions List | UN Meetings Coverage and Press ReleasesDownload

    Then, today… Canada:

    Greetings, 

    On May 21st, 2026, the UN Security Council ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee removed seven individuals from its sanctions list. For more information, consult the Press Release.

    This amendment takes effect immediately under Canadian sanctions legislation, pursuant to the Regulations Implementing the United Nations Resolutions on Taliban, ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida.

    For further information on UN Security Council sanctions list, consult List of updates to the UNSC Consolidated List | Security Council.

    Sincerely,

    and the UK:

    UK Gov logo, 50% resolution.png

    Today, Friday 22 May, the UK Government has delisted the following individuals under the Isil (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda (United Nations Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

    De-Listing:

    Name:Unique ID:
    Aamir Ali CHAUDHRYAQD0087
    Hafiz Abdul SALAM BHUTTAVIAQD0182
    Majeed Abdul CHAUDHRYAQD0222
    Maulana FAZLULLAHAQD0225
    Mohammed TUFAILAQD0246
    Mustafa Hajji Muhammad KHANAQD0267
    Abdul Rehman MAKKIAQD0379

    and its sanctions notice:

    Sanctions_Notice__Isil__Da_esh__and_Al_Qaeda__22_May_2026Download

    And lastly, SECO/FINMA:

    NEWS

    22 May 2026 

    Financial sanction 

    2026

    Updated sanction message: ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda

    The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has amended the list of sanctioned natural persons, undertakings and organizations of the Regulation of 21. March 2025 on measures against persons and organizations associated with the organizations ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda (SR 946.231.08).

    By decision of 21. In May 2026, the responsible UN Sanctions Committee changed the list of persons, companies and organizations sanctioned in this context. The amendment is directly applicable in Switzerland. SECO therefore, on 22. May 2026 adapted the sanctions database SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management), which is relevant for Switzerland, and published the adjustment on its website.

    and its PDF update:

    ISIL (Da_esh) und Al-Kaida_Delta_2026-05-22Download

    and links to its XML update and consolidated program listings.

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  • May 1, 2026: SECO catches up to UN’s Taliban and Sudan changes

    FINMA’s Taliban notice:

    NEWS

    01 May 2026 

    Financial sanction 

    2026

    Updated sanction message: Taliban

    The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has amended the list of sanctioned natural persons, undertakings and organizations of the Regulation of 21. March 2025 on measures against persons and organizations associated with the Taliban (SR 946.231.07).

    By decision of 28. In April 2026, the responsible UN Sanctions Committee changed the list of persons, companies and organizations sanctioned in this context. The change is directly applicable in Switzerland. The SECO therefore has on 29. April 2026, the sanctions database SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management), which is relevant for Switzerland, was adapted and the adjustment was published on its website.


    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    and their Sudan notice:

    Updated sanction message: Sudan

    The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research WBF has adopted an amendment to the Annex to the Regulation of 25. May 2005 on measures against Sudan (SR 946.231.18).

    The UN Sanctions Committee responsible for Sudan on 28. April 2026, the list of sanctioned natural persons, companies and organizations was amended. The change is directly applicable in Switzerland. The SECO therefore has on 29. April 2026, the sanctions database SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management), which is relevant for Switzerland, was adapted and published the adjustment on its website.


    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    and the updates – Taliban:

    Taliban_Delta_2026-04-29Download

    and Sudan:

    Sudan_Delta_2026-04-29Download

    Links:

    Update Files:

    Taliban – PDF, XML

    Sudan – PDF, XML

    Consolidated Program List – Taliban, Sudan

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  • Swiss watches may be accurate, but FINMA web pages… not so much

    OK… yesterday’s post about SECO updates to the Taliban program has been updated. The FINMA notice page had a broken link to the program page, which has the update files and the consolidated list of designations for the individual sanctions program. That is now fixed… of course, since you know the update was due to the UN’s update on Wednesday, there’s not much drama.

    Still… done and dusted. If there’s no more activity today, enjoy your weekend.

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  • April 16, 2026: We’re on Swiss Time – Time for SECO to implement recent UN Taliban sanctions changes (or did they?) [fixed]

    The FINMA Notice:

    Updated sanction message: Taliban

    The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has amended the list of sanctioned natural persons, undertakings and organizations of the Regulation of 21. March 2025 on measures against persons and organizations associated with the Taliban (SR 946.231.07).

    By decision of 13. In April 2026, the responsible UN Sanctions Committee changed the list of persons, companies and organizations sanctioned in this context. The amendment is directly applicable in Switzerland. SECO has therefore on 14. April 2026, the sanctions database SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management), which is relevant for Switzerland, was adapted and the adjustment was published on its website.


    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    SECO issued a second notice on Friday morning, which fixed the broken link to the program page, so…

    The update:

    Taliban_Delta_2026-04-16Download

    Links:

    Update files: PDF, XML

    Consolidated program list

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  • April 7, 2026 (or is it really April 1?): SECO adds to and amends its Ukraine-related sanctions listings

    The FINMA Notice:

    Updated sanction report: Ukraine

    The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research WBF has amended the ordinance of 4. March 2022 on measures in connection with the situation in Ukraine (SR 946.231.176.72).

    On March 31, 2026, the Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research WBF amended Annex 8 of the Regulation. The WBF has adapted the SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management) database, which is relevant for Switzerland, and will urgently publish the adjustment on its website. The change takes effect on 1. April 2026 11:00 p.m.

    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    The update:

    Situation en Ukraine_Delta_2026-03-31Download

    Links:

    Update files – PDF, XML

    Updated program list

    Why it took SECO almost a full week to publish this? I can’t say – but I did check my archives, They just forgot.

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  • April 1, 2026: SECO catches up to UN ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida change from Monday

    This one is not an April Fool’s Joke…

    FINMA Notice:

    Updated sanction message: ISIL (Da’esh) / Al-Qaida

    The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has amended the list of sanctioned natural persons, undertakings and organizations of the Regulation of 21. March 2025 on measures against persons and organizations associated with the organizations ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda (SR 946.231.08).

    By decision of 30. In March 2026, the responsible UN Sanctions Committee changed the list of persons, companies and organizations sanctioned in this context. The change is directly applicable in Switzerland. SECO therefore has on 31. On March 1, 2026, the SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management) database, which is relevant for Switzerland, was adapted and published the adjustment on its website.


    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    The update:

    ISIL (Da’esh) und Al-Kaida_Delta_2026-03-31Download

    Links:

    Update files – PDF, XML

    Updated program list file

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  • March 27, 2026: Oops, I missed the Swiss…

    The FINMA Notice:

    Updated sanction message: ISIL (Da’esh) / Al-Qaida

    The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has amended the list of sanctioned natural persons, undertakings and organizations of the Regulation of 21. March 2025 on measures against persons and organizations associated with the organizations ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda (SR 946.231.08).

    By decision of 26. In March 2026, the responsible UN Sanctions Committee changed the list of persons, companies and organizations sanctioned in this context. The amendment is directly applicable in Switzerland. SECO therefore, on 27. On March 1, 2026, the SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management) database, which is relevant for Switzerland, was adapted and published the adjustment on its website.


    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    The update (yes, the same 2 new designations from the UN Sanctions Committee that the UK and Canada also updated today):

    ISIL (Da’esh) und Al-Kaida_Delta_2026-03-27Download

    Links:

    Update files: PDF, XML

    Consolidated program list

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  • March 23, 2026: SECO delists 7 from Ukraine sanctions

    FINMA Notice:

    Updated sanction report: Ukraine

    The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research WBF has amended the ordinance of 4. March 2022 on measures in connection with the situation in Ukraine (SR 946.231.176.72).

    On the 19th On March 1, 2026, the Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research WBF amended Annex 8 of the Regulation. Seven natural persons were deleted from Annex 8. The WBF has adapted the SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management) database, which is relevant for Switzerland, and has urgently published the adjustment on its website. The change takes effect on the 20th. March 2026 11:00 p.m. in force.

    The update:

    Situation en Ukraine_Delta_2026-03-19Download

    Links:

    Files of updates: PDF, XML

    Consolidated program list

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  • March 12, 2026: Yes, SECO, too, implemented UN updates to Taliban sanctions

    Updated sanction message: Taliban

    The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) has amended the list of sanctioned natural persons, undertakings and organizations of the Regulation of 21. March 2025 on measures against persons and groups associated with the Taliban (SR 946.231.07).

    By decision of 10. In March 2026, the responsible UN Sanctions Committee changed the list of persons, companies and organizations sanctioned in this context. The change is directly applicable in Switzerland. The SECO therefore has on 11. On March 1, 2026, the SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management) database, which is relevant for Switzerland, was adapted and published the adjustment on its website.


    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    The update:

    Taliban_Delta_2026-03-11Download

    Links:

    Update files – PDF, XML

    Updated Program List

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  • March 10, 2026: SECO updates Iran sanctions

    Updated Sanctions Report: Islamic Republic of Iran

    The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research WBF has adopted an amendment to Annexes 3, 12, 13 and 14 of the Regulation of 12. December 2025 on measures against the Islamic Republic of Iran (SR 946.231.143.6).

    On the 9th In March 2026, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research WBF changed the list of persons, companies and organizations sanctioned in this context. The WBF has adapted the SESAM (SECO Sanctions Management) database, which is relevant for Switzerland, and has urgently published the adjustment on its website. The change will take effect on 10. March 2026 11:00 p.m. in force.


    In accordance with the provisions of the Regulation, financial intermediaries are required to implement the prohibitions, to block the assets of the sanctioned persons and to report the business relationships concerned to SECO. The report to SECO does not relieve a financial intermediary from making additional clarifications in the event of suspicion in accordance with Art. 6 GwG and, if he cannot clear them, to report it immediately to the notification office for money laundering in accordance with Art. 9 GwG.

    The list of updates:

    Iran_Delta_2026-03-09Download

    Links:

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