Two Swiss lawyers sanctioned by US for helping Russia evade sanctions

The United States has included two Swiss lawyers on its sanctions list. US agencies report that they helped their Russian clients build schemes to evade Western sanctions.

As reported by Swiss Info based on a communiqué from the US Embassy in Switzerland, the US authorities report that the two lawyers took advantage of a loophole in Swiss law that allows lawyers to work as non-financial intermediaries without additional obligations and reporting, so their activities went unnoticed for a long time. 

"Switzerland is both a global financial hub and a key part of the international sanctions framework. It can and must do more to ensure its legal framework is not used for illicit financial activity," US Ambassador Scott Miller said.

Scott Miller called on Switzerland to close the gaps in its national legislation so that lawyers acting as non-financial intermediaries are also subject to supervision and to strengthen control over compliance with sanctions. 

On 30 October, the US imposed sanctions on 400 individuals and companies, particularly for helping Russia circumvent restrictions.