SAN FRANCISCO - Today, the Asian Law Caucus, a San Francisco-based civil rights organization, released two publications relating to the U.S. Sanctions against Iran ("Iran Sanctions"): Unintended Victims: The Impact of the Iran Sanctions on Iranian Americans ("Unintended Victims"), and Know Your Rights: The Impact of the U.S. Sanctions Against Iran on You ("Know Your Rights").   

For decades, the United States government has imposed broad sanctions against Iran intended to address actions by the Government of Iran that the U.S. believes either undermines or threatens U.S. interests. However, the Iran Sanctions were not intended to, but have ensnared Iranian Americans. The Unintended Victims report, which was a collaborative venture between the Asian Law Caucus, the Iranian American Bar Association, the National Iranian American Council, and the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, examines the unintended, yet harsh, impact the sanctions have had, and continue to have, on Iranian Americans and other U.S. persons.

As detailed in the Unintended Victims report, the complexity of the Iran Sanctions, the lack of knowledge around what the sanctions allow and prohibit, and the lack of useful guidance for community members from agencies charged with administering and enforcing the sanctions are major factors contributing to the troubling burden on the Iranian American community. The rapid expansion of the sanctions in recent months have only compounded this confusion; indeed, the Asian Law Caucus and many national Iranian American organizations have been increasingly receiving inquiries from concerned and confused community members who are struggling to understand how the Iran Sanctions will affect their routine personal, family, business, and charitable activities.

In an effort to lessen this confusion, the Asian Law Caucus released an updated version of its Know Your Rights guide to the sanctions. The guide, which was originally published in May 2011, has been updated to reflect the numerous changes to the Iran Sanctions that have occurred since that date. The Asian Law Caucus hopes that this guide will provide useful information about applicable requirements to the community. The guide is only intended as a general discussion of the Sanctions and should not be regarded as legal advice.  

Copies of the Unintended Victims report are available online by clicking here.

Copies of the updated Know Your Rights guide are available online by clicking here.