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 violatingagainst 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 aformal letterto 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 networkeven though Facebook is supposedlyclosed to the citizens of Iran. Ministers have made thenew accountsby using proxy servers. The fact thatFacebook is an American company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, makes itsubject 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 Officeof Foreign Assets Control(OFAC) administered sanctions."
The notealso made clear that according toU.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 typeof seemingly innocuous material support that would render your company and youpersonally criminally and civilly liable. This includes liability for future terroristattacks carried out by Hizbullah, Hamas or other FTOs."
The letter, sent by the Chairman of Shurat Hadin,Attorney NitsanaDarshan 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 supportto terrorists have been sued by the terror victims and their families for aiding and abetting international terrorism," the letter wrote.
ByArutz Sheva
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