A woman walks past a mural depicting the U.S. flag with barbed wire and the Statue Of Liberty with skull face in Tehran, Iran on June 25, 2019. WASHINGTON, December 7, Reuters - The United States imposed sanctions on more than a dozen people and entities in Iran, Syria and Uganda on Tuesday, accusing them of being connected to serious human rights abuses and repressive acts.
In an action that marked the week of the U.S. The Treasury Department said in a statement that it was targeting repression and undermining of democracy, designating individuals and entities that are tied to the violent suppression of peaceful protesters in Iran and deadly chemical weapons attacks against civilians in Syria.
The Treasury will continue to defend against authoritarianism, promoting accountability for the repression of people seeking to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms, said Andrea Gacki, director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The statement said Washington blacklisted two senior Syrian Air Force officers it accused of being responsible for chemical weapon attacks on civilians and three senior officers in Syria's security and intelligence apparatus.
In Iran, the United States designated the Special Units of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces and Counter-Terrorist Special Forces, as well as several of their officials, and Gholamreza Soleimani, who commands Iran's hardline Basij militia. Two prisons and a prison director were also blacklisted over events that took place in them.
The head of military intelligence, Major General Abel Kandiho, was also hit with sanctions over alleged human rights abuses committed under his watch. The Ugandan military said earlier on Tuesday it was disappointed by the decision, which it said had been made without due process.
Tuesday's action freezes U.S. assets of those blacklisted and prevents Americans from dealing with them.