Two Cypriots included in new sanctions list issued by the US Treasury

Two Cypriot individuals have been included in the new designations issued by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The two Cypriots were among five individuals and one entity sanctioned in connection with “Intellexa Consortium for their role in developing, operating, and distributing commercial spyware technology that presents a significant threat to the national security of the United States,” the US Treasury said in a 16 September announcement.

The two Cypriot nationals have been named as Artemis Artemiou and Panagiota Karaoli. Artemiou is described as the general manager and member of the board of Cytrox Holdings Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag (Cytrox Holdings), a member of the Intellexa Consortium [and] an employee of Intellexa SA and Karaoli as the director of multiple Intellexa Consortium entities that are controlled by or are a subsidiary of Thalestris Limited.

In the press release, the US Treasury added that “these designations complement concerted U.S. government actions against commercial spyware vendors, including previous sanctions against individuals and entities associated with the Intellexa Consortium; the Department of Commerce’s addition of commercial spyware vendors to the Entity List and the Department of State’s visa ban policy targeting those who misuse or profit from the misuse of commercial spyware, subsequently exercised on thirteen individuals.”

“The United States will not tolerate the reckless propagation of disruptive technologies that threatens our national security and undermines the privacy and civil liberties of our citizens,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith.

(Source: CNA)