US sanctions Iranian entities for 'rights abuses'

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S. on Wednesday issued further sanctions on Iranian entities as well as a conservative semi-official organization for alleged "rights abuses".

The Treasury Department described Ansar-e Hezbollah, the designated semi-official organization, as "an organization supported by the Iranian regime that harasses and attacks the Iranian people", blaming it for acid attacks targeting women not dressed in line with the government's standards, and attacks on Iranian students in collaboration with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards' Basij volunteer militia.

Three senior Ansar-e Hezbollah officials -- Abdolhamid Mohtasham, Hossein Allahkaram and Hamid Ostad -- were also designated by the Treasury.

The notorious Evin Prison was also designated. It has been one of the main facilities used by the Iranian government to imprison political dissidents, and the Treasury said those held at Evin "are subject to brutal tactics inflicted by prison authorities, including sexual assaults, physical assaults, and electric shock".

In addition, two Iranian government officials were designated for allegedly participating in domestic censorship, as well as the Hanista Programming Group and the director general of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Abdulali Ali-Asgari.

The broadcasting organization was previously blacklisted in 2013 over censorship allegations.

“Iran not only exports terrorism and instability across the world, it routinely violates the rights of its own people," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.