Idriss Jazairy, the UN Special Rapporteur concerned with the negative impact of sanctions, has said that “unilateral coercive measures” on Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran by the United States. violates human rights.

In a statement published on Tuesday, Jazairy said the use of economic sanctions for political purposes “violates human rights and the norms of international behavior”.

“Real concerns and serious political differences between governments must never be resolved by precipitating economic and humanitarian disasters, making ordinary people pawns and hostages thereof,” he added, according to China Daily.

He said that such action might precipitate man-made humanitarian catastrophes of unprecedented proportions.

Jazairy expressed concern that the U.S. would not renew waivers for international buyers of Iranian oil, despite protests from some countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled Washington out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May 2018 and ordered reimposition of sanctions against Iran. The first round of sanctions went into force on August 6 and the second round, which targets Iran’s oil exports and banks, were snapped back on November 4. In November the U.S. allowed sanctions waivers for countries such as China, India and Turkey to continue importing limited volumes of oil from Iran, however it announced on April 22 that if any country buys oil from Iran will be sanctioned.   

Moreover, the U.S. State Department announced on Friday that Washington will not renew two of sanctions waivers which allowed Russia and the European nations to do business with Tehran. One of the two waivers allowed Iran to store excess heavy water produced in the uranium enrichment process in Oman. The other one allowed Iran to swap enriched uranium for raw yellowcake with Russia.

NA/PA