US Blacklists Serbian Arms Dealer Tesic

Slobodan Tesic, described as "the biggest dealers of arms and munitions in the Balkans", is among 39 individuals and entities on whom the US imposed sanctions on Thursday.

"Tesic is among the biggest dealers of arms and munitions in the Balkans; he spent nearly a decade on the United Nations (UN) Travel Ban List for violating UN sanctions against arms exports to Liberia," the US Treasury Department said.

It is added that in order to secure arms contracts with various countries, "Tesic would directly or indirectly provide bribes and financial assistance to officials".

The US added that Tesic also took potential clients on "high-value vacations, paid for their children's education at western schools or universities, and used large bribes to secure contracts".

The US press release recalled that Donald Trump's administration had launched a new sanctions regime targeting human rights abusers and corrupt actors around the world.  

Building on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act passed by Congress last year, it is added, that President Trump had signed an Executive Order on Thursday, declaring a national emergency with respect to serious human rights abuses and corruption around the world and providing for the imposition of sanctions on actors engaged in these malign activities.

As the US note recalled, Tesic owns or controls two Serbian companies, Partizan Tech and Technoglobal Systems DOO Beograd, and two Cyprus-based companies, Grawit Limited and Charso Limited.  

"Tesic negotiates the sale of weapons via Charso Limited and used Grawit Limited as a mechanism to fund politicians," the press release said, and added that in a related action, the Office for Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, had...