China's rights abuses in Tibet, Russia's use of Iranian drones draw fresh US sanctions

The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on dozens of Russia, Iran and China-based people and entities over alleged rights abuses, including Russia's Central Election Commission, Iranian officials and Chinese nationals.The sanctions on Chinese nationalsalso cited Beijing's support for illegal fishing in the entire Pacific region as well as the harassment of the followers of exiled Tibetan spiritual leaderDalai Lama.

The U.S. Treasury Department said it imposed sanctions on Li Zhenyu and Zhuo Xinrong, both Chinese nationals, and 10 entities linked to the two, including Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprise (PME) (PME.O), over what Washington says are human rights abuses tied to China-based illegal fishing.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirbysaid the US would sanction three Russian-based entities active in "the acquisition and use of Iranian drones". Washington flagged, what it called "an extensive relationship", involving the trade of defenceequipment such as helicopters and fighter jets as well as drones, with the latter items resulting in new US sanctions.The sanctions apply to the Russian Aerospace Forces, the 924th State Centre for Unmanned Aviation and the Command of the Military Transport Aviation.

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The sanctions wereimposed under Global Magnitsky Act. The lawauthorises Washington to sanction foreign government officials worldwide,deemed to be human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the United States.

Russia's Election Commission, Iranian, Chinese citizens face sanctions' heat

In a separate action, the USalso designated 40 individuals and entities connected to alleged human rights abuse or corruption across nine countries, including Russia, China and Iran.

Washington imposed sanctions on Russia's Central Election Commission, accusing it of helping to oversee and monitor what the United States said are "sham referendums" held in Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine, as well as 15 of its members.

The Treasury also took action against four people it accused of being directly involved in Russia's filtration operations. The State Department designated two Russian nationals over alleged human rights abuse against Ukrainian civilians.

The Treasury also slapped sanctions on two Chinese officials it accused of serious human rights abuses in China's Tibet region: Wu Yingjie, the Chinese Communist Party chief in Tibet between 2016 and 2021, and Zhang Hongbo, a senior public security official in the region.

China has been accused of suppressing the rights of the Tibetan people, with Communist Party officials harassing the followers of exiled spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

Friday's action also imposed sanctions on Iranian officials over the crackdown on protesters, North Korea's Ministry of State Security Border Guard General Bureau and Alpha Conde, the former president of Guinea, as well as other people and entities in El Salvador, the Philippines, Mali and Guatemala.

Russia's embassy in Washington and Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the actions.

Friday's move freezes any U.S. assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

US sanctions on Russia: What dothey entail?

The Biden administration reportedly plans to hit the Russian defence industry linked to the transfer of Iranian military drones that Russia is allegedly using in Ukraine. The US aims to disrupt the deployment of a weapon that Ukrainians say have terrorised populations and are manufactured by Iran's US-sanctioned weapons program, Wall Street Journal reported.

US sanctions on China: What dothey entail?

The Biden administration sanctioned Chinese entities allegedly involved in illegal fishing throughout the Indo-Pacific.

WATCH |United States imposes human rights sanctions on China

The fishing activities, apart from exhausting critical fishing stocks, have also been exploited by Beijing to expand its maritime powers by establishing multiple ports outside of China. TheBiden administration intends tohold China accountable for human rights abuses against the Tibetan people, among other ethnic minorities living under China-administered regions.

US sanctions on Russia, China: What will they result in?

The sanctions will freeze any assets the targets have within the jurisdiction of the United States, prevent their travel to the USand prohibit business dealings with them. The entity under sanction finds its access to foreign markets cut off, following which its operations are affected up to the point of dissolution.

In past, both China and Russia have renounced the US sanctions as Washington's"legal overreach" and the US effort to meddle in the sovereign affairs of other countries.

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