Further Steps to Prevent the Financing of Terrorism

The Kurdistan People’s Congress, the People’s Congress of Kurdistan and the Kongra-Gel have now been gazetted under Part 4 of the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 on the basis that they are aliases of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is involved in terrorism.

The listing in the Commonwealth Gazette means that it is now a criminal offence for anyone who holds assets owned or controlled by these three entities to use or deal with the assets. It will also be a criminal offence for persons to make assets available to these entities. The penalty for these offences is five years in jail.

Part 4 of the Act implements Australia’s obligation under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001) to freeze the assets of persons who commit, attempt to commit, participate in or facilitate the commission of terrorist acts; of entities owned or controlled directly or indirectly by such persons; and of persons and entities acting on behalf of, or at the direction of such persons and entities.

The names of the gazetted individuals and organisations can be found in the Gazette or on my Department’s website at: www.dfat.gov.au/icat/freezing_terrorist_assets.html.

A consolidated list of all people and entities currently covered by Part 4 of the Charter of the United Nations Act 1945 Act can also be found on this website.

Under Regulation 10 of the Charter of the United Nations (Terrorism and Dealings with Assets) Regulations, anyone who suspects they may hold assets of any person or entity on the consolidated list must contact Asset.Freezing@dfat.gov.au or the Australian Federal Police’s Transnational Crime Coordination Centre Response Group (ph 02 6275 7575, fax 02 6275 7330, email aocc-liaison-ops-support@afp.gov.au).

Media inquiries: Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02-6277 7500, Nicole Guihot (Departmental) 02 6261 1555