The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the Iranian regime over its human rights abuses and support for terrorism.
The U.S. State Department sanctioned four Iranian individuals and five Iranian entities for having engaged in censorship or other activities that prohibit or penalize freedom of expression in Iran or limit Iranian citizens’ access to print or broadcast media, including jamming international satellite broadcast into Iran.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in a statement that among those designated are Reza Taghipour, Iran’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology, who is responsible for ordering the jamming of satellite television broadcasts and for restricting internet connectivity in Iran. Also sanctioned were Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and its Press Supervisory Board which have limited freedom of expression through censorship, closure of newspapers and magazines, and detention of journalists.
“Such abuses demonstrate the Iranian government’s ongoing campaign to censor their own citizens, curtail their freedoms, and to prevent the free flow of information both into and out of Iran,” said Ms. Nuland.
“Countless activists, journalists, lawyers, students and artists have been detained, censured, tortured, or forcibly prevented from exercising their human rights. ... We will continue to stand with the Iranian people in their quest to protect their dignity and freedoms, and prevent the Iranian Government from creating an ‘electronic curtain’ to cut Iranian citizens off from the rest of the world.”
On the same day, the U.S. Treasury Department designated 17 individuals or entities related to the Iranian government’s human rights abuses, its support for terrorism and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The designations mean that any assets held by the named individuals or groups are frozen, and all U.S. citizens are banned from doing business with them. In addition, the individuals are prohibited from travel to the United States.
David Cohen, U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence said in a statement that the new sanctions “further demonstrate our resolve to put a stop to the Iranian regime’s continued efforts to deny the Iranian people access to information and the ability to speak freely. We will continue to expose this repressive behavior, as well as Iran’s continued proliferation activities and support for terrorists worldwide.”
The U.S. State Department sanctioned four Iranian individuals and five Iranian entities for having engaged in censorship or other activities that prohibit or penalize freedom of expression in Iran or limit Iranian citizens’ access to print or broadcast media, including jamming international satellite broadcast into Iran.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said in a statement that among those designated are Reza Taghipour, Iran’s Minister of Communication and Information Technology, who is responsible for ordering the jamming of satellite television broadcasts and for restricting internet connectivity in Iran. Also sanctioned were Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and its Press Supervisory Board which have limited freedom of expression through censorship, closure of newspapers and magazines, and detention of journalists.
“Such abuses demonstrate the Iranian government’s ongoing campaign to censor their own citizens, curtail their freedoms, and to prevent the free flow of information both into and out of Iran,” said Ms. Nuland.
“Countless activists, journalists, lawyers, students and artists have been detained, censured, tortured, or forcibly prevented from exercising their human rights. ... We will continue to stand with the Iranian people in their quest to protect their dignity and freedoms, and prevent the Iranian Government from creating an ‘electronic curtain’ to cut Iranian citizens off from the rest of the world.”
On the same day, the U.S. Treasury Department designated 17 individuals or entities related to the Iranian government’s human rights abuses, its support for terrorism and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The designations mean that any assets held by the named individuals or groups are frozen, and all U.S. citizens are banned from doing business with them. In addition, the individuals are prohibited from travel to the United States.
David Cohen, U.S. Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence said in a statement that the new sanctions “further demonstrate our resolve to put a stop to the Iranian regime’s continued efforts to deny the Iranian people access to information and the ability to speak freely. We will continue to expose this repressive behavior, as well as Iran’s continued proliferation activities and support for terrorists worldwide.”
