Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§9405 Imposition of Additional Sanctions with Respect to Persons Responsible for Human Rights Abuses

Title 22 › CHAPTER 101 — COUNTERING IRAN’S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES › § 9405

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must give Congress a list within 90 days after August 2, 2017, and every year after that, of people the Secretary finds, based on credible evidence, to be either responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other serious human rights abuses against Iranians who try to expose government wrongdoing or to exercise rights (for example, religion, speech, assembly, fair trials, or elections), or who act as agents of a foreign person in those matters. The President may, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), block all transactions in all property and property interests of anyone on that list if the property is in the United States, comes into the United States, or is held or controlled by a U.S. person. People who violate those blocking rules face the penalties in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1705).

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §9405

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general
Not later than 90 days after August 2, 2017, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a list of each person the Secretary determines, based on credible evidence, on or after August 2, 2017—
(1)is responsible for extrajudicial killings, torture, or other gross violations of internationally recognized human rights committed against individuals in Iran who seek—
(A)to expose illegal activity carried out by officials of the Government of Iran; or
(B)to obtain, exercise, defend, or promote internationally recognized human rights and freedoms, such as the freedoms of religion, expression, association, and assembly, and the rights to a fair trial and democratic elections; or
(2)acts as an agent of or on behalf of a foreign person in a matter relating to an activity described in paragraph (1).
(b)Sanctions described
(1)In general
The President may, in accordance with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), block all transactions in all property and interests in property of a person on the list required by subsection (a) if such property and interests in property are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a United States person.
(2)Penalties
A person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of paragraph (1) or any regulation, license, or order issued to carry out paragraph (1) shall be subject to the penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful act described in subsection (a) of that section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The International Emergency Economic Powers Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is title II of Pub. L. 95–223, Dec. 28, 1977, 91 Stat. 1626, which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 1701 et seq.) of Title 50, War and National Defense. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1701 of Title 50 and Tables.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 9405

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110