WASHINGTON - Several Iranian regime officials, including two senior officials in Iran's prison system, were sanctioned March 8 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The office says they have been responsible for serious human rights abuses against women and girls and that women prisoners suffer sexual violence, torture, and other cruel and degrading treatment.
Also sanctioned were three Iranian companies and their leadership for enabling the violent repression by the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces of peaceful protestors, including many women and girls.
"Marking International Women's Day, this action is being taken with allies and partners like the European Union, United Kingdom, and Australia, to demonstrate a unified commitment to holding the Iranian regime accountable for denying the women and girls of Iran their human rights and dignity," the Department of the Treasury shared in a statement Wednesday.
This is the tenth round of Office of Foreign Assets Control designations targeting Iran for its crackdown on demonstrators and depriving the Iranian people of access to the global internet since nationwide protests began in September 2022.
“The United States, along with our partners and allies, stand with the women of Iran, who advocate for fundamental freedoms in the face of a brutal regime that treats women as second-class citizens and attempts to suppress their voices by any means,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson. “We will continue to take action against the regime, which perpetuates abuse and violence against its own citizens, especially women and girls.”
As a result of this action, all property and interests in property of these people that are in the U.S. or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control. In addition, all transactions by U.S. persons, or within the United States, that involve any property or interests of blocked or designated persons are prohibited. People who engage in certain transactions with those sanctioned may themselves be exposed to sanctions or subject to an enforcement action.