US blacklists two Iranian entities, three individuals for committing serious human rights abuses

The Trump administration blacklisted at least two Iranian entities as well as three leaders of one of these entities for committing serious human rights abuses on behalf of the Government of Iran.

   Notably, the US Treasury Department designated two Iranian entities including Ansar-e Hizballah and Hansita Programming Group for committing serious human rights abuses on behalf of the Government of Iran. It has also blacklisted three leaders of Ansar-e Hizballah organization.
In a statement, the US Treasury Department said, “OFAC designated an entity that has operated information or communications technology that facilitates monitoring or tracking that could assist or enable serious human rights abuses by or on behalf of the Government of Iran.”
“Finally, OFAC designated two individuals for engaging in censorship activities that prohibit, limit, or penalize the exercise of freedom of expression or assembly by citizens of Iran, and one individual for acting for or on behalf of an entity engaged in such censorship activities. These designations come in the wake of recent protests by the Iranian people and the regime’s subsequent brutal crackdown,” the Treasury Department added.
The secretary of Treasury Department, Steven Mnuchin said, “Iran not only exports terrorism and instability across the world, it routinely violates the rights of its own people. The Iranian regime diverts national resources that should belong to the people to fund a massive and expensive censorship apparatus and suppress free speech.”
“Those who speak out against the regime’s mismanagement and corruption are subject to abuse and mistreatment in Iran’s prisons. America stands with the people of Iran, and Treasury is taking action to hold the Iranian regime accountable for ongoing human rights abuses, censorship, and other despicable acts it commits against its own citizens,” he added.