The U.S. Department of Treasury announced
sanctions on Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov’s MMA promotion and
fight club (Akhmat MMA + ACA).After five years of reporting on Kadyrov’s use of MMA as a soft
power strategy to distract from human rights abuses, it has finally
happened pic.twitter.com/Tcrb92t4Hk— Karim Zidan | كريم زيدان (@ZidanSports)
December 10, 2020
The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned Chechen
Head Ramzan Kadyrov for human right abuses, affecting fighters
associating with Kadyrov or competing in his promotion of Absolute Championship Akhmat. On Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has placed
sanctions on a number of international figures for “serious
human right abuse across several countries in the Western
Hemisphere, Middle East, and Eurasia.” Multiple parties in Haiti,
Yemen and other countries have been sanctioned, and this includes
Chechen leader Kadyrov. The OFAC designated Kadyrov as, “a foreign
person who is a leader of an organization…that has engaged
in…serious human rights abuses.”
Kadyrov was marked in 2017 by the OFAC as “responsible for
extrajudicial killing, torture, or other gross violations of
internationally recognized human rights,” while Kadyrov claimed it
was in the guise of law enforcement and crime prevention. Since
then, the OFAC has determined that either Kadyrov himself or
through his leadership, these kidnappings, tortures and killings
have specifically targeted the LGBTI population as well as
journalists and political activists.
The implications of these sanctions are far-reaching for Americans
that do business with Kadyrov or any of the six organizations under
his ownership, including ACA and his fight team of Akhmat MMA.
Effective immediately, “all property and interests in property…that
are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S.
persons are blocked and must be reported to the OFAC.” This
includes entities or organization where Kadyrov or his
representatives own at least 50 percent or more.
Where fighters and figures are involved, unless specifically
permitted by the OFAC, “OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all
transactions by U.S. person or within (or transiting) the United
States that involve the property or interests in property.” This
ruling also prohibits U.S. citizens or those in the U.S. using
visas from being paid by Kadyrov or his companies, barring “the
making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or
services, by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the
receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or
services from any person.”
ACA crowned its first-ever American champion at
ACA 114 on Nov. 26, when Tony
Johnson demolished Daniel
Omielanczuk in 69 seconds to win the heavyweight throne —
although Brett
Cooper once held a welterweight title, that was in the ACB
organization prior to the ACB/WFCA merger. On that card alone,
three Americans competed, including Johnson, Daniel
James and Cory
Hendricks. Many major figures in the sport have prior
involvement with Kadyrov, including the likes of Chris
Weidman, Frank Mir,
Fabricio
Werdum – the three traveled to a past event
together on the behest of Kadyrov –
along with many other names over the years like Frankie
Edgar, Alexander
Gustafsson and Khabib
Nurmagomedov.
Somewhat recently, Nurmagomedov traveled to Chechnya in
2019 to dine with Kadyrov. Manager Ali Abdelaziz later
attempted to explain the relationship on an episode of
The MMA Hour in 2019. Kadyrov was in
attendance in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, at UFC 242 to
witness Nurmagomedov defeat Dustin
Poirier, and he celebrated with the champ after the
victory.
The
OFAC statement regarding Kadyrov’s sanctions can be read as
follows:
”Ramzan Kadyrov (Kadyrov), the Head of the Chechen Republic, is
being designated today pursuant to the Global Magnitsky E.O. for
being a foreign person who is a leader of an organization, the
Kadyrovtsy, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in,
serious human rights abuses. Kadyrov and the forces he commands,
commonly known as the Kadyrovtsy, are implicated in the murder of
Boris Nemtsov, an opposition politician to Russian President
Vladimir Putin, and other serious violations of human rights. On
December 20, 2017, OFAC designated Kadyrov pursuant to the Russia
Magnitsky Act for being responsible for extrajudicial killing,
torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized
human rights committed against individuals seeking to expose
illegal activity carried out by officials of the Government of the
Russian Federation, or to obtain, exercise, defend, or promote
internationally recognized human rights and freedoms, such as the
freedoms of religion, expression, association, and assembly, and
the rights to a fair trial and democratic elections, in the Russian
Federation.
“Following Kadyrov’s previous designation, the Kadyrovtsy, under
the guidance of Kadyrov, continued these egregious activities, to
include kidnapping, torturing, and killing members of the LGBTI
population in the Chechen Republic. The Kadyrovtsy are accused of
illegal abductions, torture, extrajudicial executions, and other
abuses, including the detention of journalists and activists.
“In addition to Kadyrov, OFAC is designating the following six
companies registered in Russia that continue to provide Kadyrov
pride and significant profit:
Absolute Championship Akhmat for being owned or controlled by
Kadyrov.
Akhmat MMA for being owned or controlled by Kadyrov.
FC Akhmat Grozny for being owned or controlled by Kadyrov.
Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation for being owned or controlled by
Kadyrov.
Megastroyinvest, OOO for being owned or controlled by the Akhmat
Kadyrov Foundation.
Chechen Mineral Waters Ltd. for being owned or controlled by the
Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in
property of the persons above that are in the United States or in
the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be
reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned,
directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked
persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or
specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, OFAC’s
regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or
within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property
or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked
persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or
provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit
of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or
provision of funds, goods, or services from any such
person.”