US sanctions Iran officials

US President Barack Obama has ordered the imposition of sanctions on eight Iranian officials for human rights abuses.

These officials include:

1. Mohammad Ali Jafari, Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

2. Sadeq Mahsouli, Minister of Welfare and Social Security, former Minister of the Interior and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for Law Enforcement

3. Qolam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Prosecutor-General of Iran and former Minister of Intelligence

4. Saeed Mortazavi, the head of Iranian Anti-Smuggling Task Force and former Prosecutor-General of Tehran

5. Heydar Moslehi, Minister of Intelligence

6. Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, Minister of the Interior and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces for Law Enforcement

7. Ahmad-Reza Radan, Deputy Chief of the National Police

8. Hossein Taeb, Deputy Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander for Intelligence and former Commander of the Basij Forces

In his message to the US Congress regarding the Executive Order, President Obama says, “I have determined that the actions and policies of the Government of Iran on or after its presidential election of June 12, 2009, including its violent response to peaceful demonstrations and its commission of serious human rights abuses, warrant the imposition of additional sanctions.”

The message states:

The order blocks the property and interests in property of persons listed in the Annex to the order, who I have determined meet the first of the three criteria set forth below. The order also provides criteria for designations of persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State:

– to be an official of the Government of Iran or a person acting on behalf of the Government of Iran (including members of paramilitary organizations) who is responsible for or complicit in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the commission of serious human rights abuses against persons in Iran or Iranian citizens or residents, or the family members of the foregoing, on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran;

– to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the activities described in section 1(a)(ii)(A) of the order or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order; or

– to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order.

Read the full text of the Executive Order.

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