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Two international business organizations pleaded guilty and were sentenced today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for their participation in a criminal conspiracy to violate U.S. export laws and sanctions by sending U.S.-origin goods to Iran.

Taiwan business organization DES International Co. Ltd. (DES), and Brunei business organization Soltech Industry Co. Ltd. (Soltech) each pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations. The two companies were each sentenced to pay a fine of $83,769, which is three times the value of the goods unlawfully exported to Iran, and to serve a five-year term of corporate probation. The sentences were issued by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb.

The defendant companies, which shared common directors and employees, have pled guilty to obtaining U.S. export-controlled goods for the benefit of the government of Iran and concealing the US origin of those good to facilitate their illicit transfer, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. Today we are holding them accountable for violating our laws at the expense of U.S. national security.

These criminal convictions demonstrate that we will pursue any individual or organization, wherever located, that would violate our sanctions against Iran and thereby threaten our national security, said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia.

HSI will continue to work with our federal and international law enforcement partners to ensure offenders who are violating U.S. export laws and sanctions are brought to justice, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of HSI San Antonio. We will remain steadfast in our commitment to protect our homeland from all adversaries.

The defendants in this case took actions that placed profit and economic gain above U.S. national security and global stability, said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. Todays sentencing demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the FBI, U.S. Attorneys Office, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defence and Department of Commerce (DOC) to hold accountable anyone who would threaten U.S. national security and the safety of the American people.

Keeping our nation's sensitive technologies out of the hands of our adversaries is one of our highest priorities, said Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southwest Field Office. DCIS, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and our federal partners are committed to identifying and holding accountable those that seek to evade U.S. export enforcement laws, putting our war fighters at risk.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)s aggressive enforcement of the Export Administration Regulations plays a critical role in protecting U.S. national security, said Special Agent in Charge Trey McClish of the DOC. In this instance, our partnership with HSI, DCIS, FBI and the U.S. AttorneysOffice sendsthemessage that violating U.S. export control rules on Iran will not be tolerated.

According to the plea agreement documents, DES and Soltech, which were affiliatd with one another by virtue of common directors, employees and customers, both procured goods from the United States for the benefit of Iranian government entities and business organizations. In particular, a sales agent for both DES and Soltech helped an Iranian research center obtain U.S. goods without a license from the Department of the Treasury. These goods included a power amplifier designed for use in electromechanical devices as well as cybersecurity software. The companies sales agent took steps to conceal the U.S. origin of the goods, including by removing serial number stickers with the phrase Made in USA from packages, and by causing the cybersecurity software to be downloaded onto a computer outside of Iran. In addition, the sales agent shared developments regarding this illegal conduct with other employees and directors of DES and Soltech. An arrest warrant issued for the sales agent has not yet been executed.

The FBI San Antonio Field Office, HSI, DCIS and DOC investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Friedman for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.

Original post:
International Business Organizations Convicted of Criminal ... - Department of Justice

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Its rarely easy to discuss politics calmly as a British lawyer. Its even harder as a child of Iranian immigrants.

The news from Iran over the last few months has been alarming. Over 15,000 protesters calling for more basic freedoms for women have been arrested, and security forces are estimated to have killed at least 537 people. State-directed torture and sexual abuse has become routine. Meanwhile, schoolgirls across the country face horrifying chemical attacks without much support from the government.

So far this has elicited an ineffectual response from Western governments. Condemnation and sloganeering has been futile. Iranians and human rights activists abroad are right to feel frustrated by this state of affairs, but theres a lot we can do still do.

International law grants rights to all people regardless of where they live, not just to citizens of certain countries, said the former head of the UN, Kofi Annan. As lawyers concerned about global human rights, its time we put that into practice.

Today, a group of lawyers, academics, journalists and activists, some of Iranian heritage, will join together to launch a new initiative to get justice for human rights abuses in Iran. We aim to build a global group of experts to help document and analyse the human rights abuses in Iran, with a view to securing justice for the victims in international courts.

We want to put the Iranian government on notice. It can choose to dismiss Western government actions as posturing and interference, but it cannot take the same attitude when its own people have submitted evidence of brutal human rights violations to independent bodies.

The recent and unprecedented arrest warrant issued for Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court judges was an example of how international law can be pushed beyond what was previously thought possible. In our modern world, where citizens can more easily record and share evidence of state abuse, it set an important marker. Expect to see a lot more such arrest warrants.

The beauty of international law is that much of it is newly established. That makes it fertile territory for creating new precedents. We believe that monitoring and documenting human rights violations in Iran and preparing that evidence so it can stand up in court, is a powerful way to hold the regime to account. Those guilty should have evidence presented against them at international courts.

In November 2022 the United Nations Human Rights Council decided to establish an independent international fact-finding mission to thoroughly and independently investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran. It has also invited groups and organisations to submit evidence towards that mandate. We believe this is an excellent starting point.

We also believe that by using the full force of the law alongside a globally connected community of academics, politicians and the media, we can be a force to hold those abusing their power to account.

The people of Iran must know that someone out there is documenting their plight and bringing it, in all its harrowing detail, to the international stage. Perhaps one day they will finally get the justice they deserve.

Alicia Alinia is global chief operating officer at Pogust Goodhead

More here:
Opinion: How we'll take Iran to court for crimes against women - The Independent

Javad Owji, Irans Oil Minister, and Pedro Rafael Tellechea, his Venezuelan counterpart, signed deals to expand bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.

IRNA reported on April 16 that while visiting Caracas, Javad Owji signed cooperation documents and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with senior Venezuelan officials aimed at reinforcing bilateral cooperation in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry.

According to reports, the agreements between Javad Owji and Venezuelan officials aim to develop oil and gas fields, renovate and reconstruct Venezuela's oil refineries, and maximize their production capacity.

As part of the agreements, Iran will offer technical and engineering support, as well as equipment, to aid in the modernization of Venezuelas petrochemical complexes, loading docks, and oil terminals. Additionally, the two countries have reached deals related to the trade and export of oil, gas condensate, and petroleum products.

In recent years, Iran has established strategic cooperation with its Latin American ally, with bilateral trade between the two countries encompassing industries such as oil, gas, and automotive. Furthermore, since December 2022, Iran has been operating its ocean liners to transport merchants along routes to Venezuela.

Amir Bayat, the marketing deputy head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), has stated that Venezuela is an excellent destination for Iranian-made construction materials, petrochemicals, and oil products. He has also encouraged Iranian merchants to utilize the shipping line for exporting these items.

Tehran has been reportedly providing assistance in the renovation of some of Venezuelas largest refineries, despite sanctions imposed by the United States on Venezuelas state oil company PDVSA. Iran has sent a total of four shipments, consisting of 8 million barrels of naphtha, to Venezuela in 2022. This product has played a significant role in boosting Venezuelas oil production. Moreover, in January 2023, Iran delivered a tanker carrying 440,000 barrels of naphtha to Venezuela.

In early January, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met with the Venezuelan ambassador, Rafael Silva Aponte, and emphasized the positive outcomes of the constructive talks and good deals that were achieved between Tehran and Caracas during President Nicolas Maduro's visit to Iran in June 2022.

Implementation of these agreements can expand bilateral cooperation between the two countries by using the various capacities of the two countries, President Raisi told the ambassador.

During a meeting in Tehran in June 2022, Iran and Venezuela signed a 20-year cooperation plan, which encompassed cooperation in various sectors such as oil, petrochemicals, defence, agriculture, tourism, culture, the repair of Venezuelan refineries, and the export of technical and engineering services. In May of that year, the National Iranian Oil Engineering and Construction Company signed a contract worth around 110 million euros to undertake repairs on Venezuela's smaller refinery with a capacity of 146,000 barrels per day.

Originally posted here:
Iran, Venezuela Strengthen Ties in Oil Industry with New Agreements - Caspian News

Jason Rezaian, an Iranian American and Washington Post writer, spoke about his imprisonment in Iran at an April 10 event at The Fletcher School.

Rezaian formerly served as the Tehran bureau chief for the Post, where he is now a global opinions writer. After being convicted of espionage in a closed-door trial, he was imprisoned by the Iranian government for 544 days from 201416.

The Persian Students Association organized the event as part of its speaker series with support from the Office of the Provost.

The Fletcher School has a long and illustrious history of bringing out people who work in international relations and diplomatic fields around the world, Rezaian told the Daily. Its a wonderful opportunity for me, and Im glad to have been asked.

Rezaian initially decided to report on Iran out of a curiosity for reclusive parts of the world.

I knew from early on that I wanted to write and tell stories about places that most Americans wouldnt have the opportunity to visit, Rezaian said. When I had the opportunity to go [to Iran] and get to know the place and its people, I found it to be, of course, fascinating, but also so different than how it was portrayed in our news media.

When he went to Iran, Rezaian quickly found a wealth of stories.

I thought to myself, Well, heres a good chance for me to do something that will actually add value, Rezaian said. It wasnt easy to get into, but I spent a lot of time and energy and resources to make myself as valuable a reporter on Iran as possible.

During the event, Rezaian spoke about how anti-American rhetoric manifests in Iran, despite how many citizens have embraced some American culture and technology. Rezaian also highlighted the nuanced role of women in Iranian society, especially in light of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in late 2022.

Even though women have been treated as second-class citizens in Iranian society, Rezaian made clear they play a critical role in public life, particularly education, and have carved out their own niches of security in an Islamic society. Rezaian suggested that the abuse women have faced in society, combined with their outsized role, could make them a formidable force for reform.

The conversation turned to Iranian authorities 2014 arrest of Rezaian and the broader problem of authoritarian regimes taking journalists as hostages. Rezaian told the Daily he believes his own arrest was related to the contentious nuclear deal negotiations that were going on at the time.

I was an American citizen working for a high-profile company that happened to be a news organization, Rezaian said. Some elements within the Iranian regime who did not want to see the nuclear deal come to fruition used my arrest and other outlandish provocations to try and undermine the deal. That didnt succeed, but I paid a pretty heavy price.

During his discussion, Rezaian said that diplomatic hesitancy leads states and media to refer to obvious hostages as wrongful detainees, downgrading their status in the publics eyes.

In his interview with the Daily, Rezaian also drew attention to the current status of journalists imprisoned in other countries, and expressed concern about the future of international reporting, saying it has become increasingly dangerous in recent years.

We see whats happened to The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia over the last couple of weeks, Rezaian said. I think young journalists need to understand that the rules of engagement are very different than they were.

Rezaian also acknowledged the disparity in how the United States treats enemy states that take hostages versus allied states, such as Saudi Arabia, that take hostages as well. He said that while the State Department has its own motives for how they handle hostage situations, they still have to do legal due diligence to ensure the charges against the would-be hostages are dismissed.

Concluding his discussion, Rezaian suggested that the United States should change its attitude toward dealing with Iran.

Weve spent 40 years putting real heavy penalties and sanctions on Iran, he said. But its time for a rethink on how we approach these issues. What youre trying to do with economic sanctions is really to get people to rise up, and it never works. Its much more effective to go after the people in power and their loved ones.

The current sanctions, according to Rezaian, misdirect blame at ordinary Iranian citizens.

For a long time, we could make the argument that academia was supposed to be a safe haven and people should be able to come, Rezaian said. But when ordinary Iranians are blocked from coming, then its a problem. I think we have to reassess how we approach punitive measures against countries that were at odds with, and do it in a way that is more directly targeting the bad actors themselves, and figure out ways to empower ordinary people.

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Jason Rezaian, journalist once imprisoned in Iran, shares his ... - Tufts Daily

A suspect has been arrested over the horrific murder of two women in the city of Abadeh in Irans southern Fars Province, according to judicial officials.

The mutilated bodies of the victims were found in separate parts of the city.

Chief Justice of Fars Province, Kazem Mousavi announced on Tuesday that "the main suspect of the murders" was arrested on the evening of Monday, April 17.

The families of the victims told Iran International the judicial authorities have not provided the identity of the suspected murderer.

The murders come after the disappearance of local women in recent weeks.

A 55-year-old woman named Donya left home on Saturday morning for her office but did not return.

It is possible that one of the bodies is hers.

Relatives of the two feared victims told Iran International the bodies are so mutilated they cannot be identified initially. DNA tests are being conducted in the hope of providing identification.

Local residents believe there are more than two missing women, raising fears that there may be further victims, and fuelling growing anxiety among female residents of Abadeh.

The horrific practice of killing women and mutilating their bodies in Iran, known as honor killing, is a form of violence against women that is rooted in traditional gender roles and expectations. It is a way for men to control and punish women who are perceived to have violated social norms.

Excerpt from:
Suspect Arrested In Connection With Murder Of Two Women, Iran Says -