The UK is imposing sanctions against 49 individuals and organisations involved in notorious human rights abuses in recent years.
UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, announced that the measures will target individuals and organisations, rather than nations and will include asset freezes and travel bans.
Raab said that the first wave of sanctions would target the 25 Russian nationals involved in the mistreatment and death of Sergei Magnitsky, 20 Saudi nationals involved in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, 2 high ranking Myanmar military generals involved in the systematic killings of the Rohingya people and 2 organisations involved in forced labour, torture and murder in North Korea.
Raab added that the regulations will enable the UK to target a "wider network of perpertrators" who facilitate, incite, promote or support serious human rights violations.
Further sanctions under the new regime are expected in the coming months. "A special unit will consider the use of future sanctions, with teams across the department monitoring human rights issues," the UK government reports.
