A recent decision to provide social media to 15 Iranian ministers upsets Israeli human rights org: "stop assisting terrorists."
Facebook can face legal charges for violating against United States sanctions on Iran, by providing its services to figures within the Iranian leadership, according to Israeli human rights legal advisers from the Shurat Hadin Law Center.

The Israeli organization, which represents victims of terrorism in courtrooms around the world, sent a formal letter to Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, in an attempt  to dissuade the multibillion dollar company from violating a U.S. law.

It was recently reported that 15 Iranian government ministers launched a new account on the popular social network even though Facebook is supposedly closed to the citizens of Iran. Ministers have made the new accounts by using proxy servers. The fact that Facebook is an American company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, makes it subject to U.S. laws.

The letter said: "Please be advised that providing social media and other associated services to ministers of the government of Iran is illegal under the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administered sanctions."

The note also made clear that according to U.S. criminal law, directly or indirectly providing support to the Iran, which has supported terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, is thereby being a "sponsor of terrorism."

"This would constitute the type of seemingly innocuous material support that would render your company and you personally criminally and civilly liable.  This includes liability for future terrorist attacks carried out by Hizbullah, Hamas or other FTOs."

The letter, sent by the Chairman of Shurat Hadin, Attorney Nitsana Darshan Leitner, clarified that in other cases, the U.S. prosecuted people and organizations that provided services to terrorist organizations.

"Many U.S. entities and individuals who have provided material support to terrorists have been sued by the terror victims and their families for aiding and  abetting international terrorism," the letter wrote.

By Arutz Sheva

 

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