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Iran says it is so concerned about the mistreatment of Black Americans that it wants to impose sanctions against the U.S.
An Iranian judicial official in the authoritarian country, which the U.S. has often called out over human rights abuses, is worried about police brutality against Black people, referencing the May 2020 police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The Iranian government vowed to impose sanctions over racial and policing issues, said Kazem Gharibabadi, Secretary-General of Iran’s Human Rights Office. The Iranian government plans to publish a list of U.S. entities and individuals involved in human rights abuses, he said. Those named on the list will then be subject to sanctions from Iran, the official Islamic Republic news agency reported.
“Human rights experts confirmed that police brutality in the U.S. against people of color especially, African-Americans, should be considered systemic racism,” he said.
Some Black Americans on Twitter were skeptical, calling Iran’s move a political scam.
“Hmm Since when do they care about issues? I don’t recall any intervention or public statements denouncing the decades old /present maltreatment. If somebody has examples please hit me,” Nickki @NubianPrincez2 tweeted.
“They trying to use black ppl for political gains . Black ppl would be treated worse in Iran than in USA, I hope no black persons falls for this political scam,” A Addison @AAddison17 tweeted.
But others on Twitter thought Iran’s statement might spark global awareness of the plight of Black Americans.
“Perhaps this can kick off a wave of other countries to place sanctions on the US as well on behalf Black Americans. Just thinking out loud… Perhaps there is a way BA’s can use this to gain an advantage,” BlackFlag_@Galaxy83_i tweeted.
“Good I hope more countries follow suit,” Convey @ChrisF96 tweeted.
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Besides police brutality against Black Americans, Gharibabadi also referred to the treatment of prisoners in the U.S. and the “big number of women in jails,” according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
Gharibabadi also pointed out the numerous U.S. sanctions on Iran, even though the two countries are currently negotiating a U.S. return to the Iran nuclear deal, which would lift some of these sanctions in exchange for Iranian compliance on its nuclear program, Al-Monitor reported.
It’s not the first time Iran has chastised the U.S. about the treatment of Black Americans.
On May 27, 2020, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tweeted a video about the history of American slavery and African Americans suffering from human rights abuses, TRT World reported.
The tweet read, “If you’re dark-skinned walking in the US, you can’t be sure you’ll be alive in the next few minutes. #ICantBreathe #BlackLivesMatter.”
Later in 2020, the supreme leader spoke about George Floyd’s death: “It is no novelty… It is what the US governments have been doing to the world.” Khamenei went on to say, “a cop kneeling on a black man’s neck and letting him choke to death… is the nature of the American government. They have done the same to such countries as Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.”
And, on June 4, 2020, President Hassan Rouhani gave a televised speech about George Floyd, who “was killed in the most brutal way.”
Prior to this, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who ruled from 2005 to 2013, often mentioned racism in the U.S. in his speeches critical of the U.S.
