The Department of State is designating Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) for its involvement in the wrongful detention of at least one U.S. national abroad. The Department says the FSB has repeatedly been involved in the arrest, investigation, and detention of U.S. nationals wrongfully detained in Russia.
The Department is also designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization (IRGC-IO) for its involvement in the wrongful detention of at least one U.S. national abroad. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is designating four senior officials in the IRGC-IO.
The State Department says its actions are a clear and direct warning to those around the world who wrongfully detain U.S. nationals of the potential consequences of their actions.
In July 2022, the President signed E.O. 14078 to provide the U.S. government with expanded tools to deter and disrupt hostage-taking and wrongful detentions of U.S. nationals, including imposing financial sanctions and visa restrictions. The Department of State’s designations of the FSB and IRGC-IO are pursuant to Section 6(a)(i)(A) of E.O. 14078 for being responsible for or complicit in, directly or indirectly engaged in, or responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing, the wrongful detention of a U.S. national abroad. Department of the Treasury designations of senior IRGC-IO officials are under E.O. 14078 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the IRGC-IO, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 14078.
Read more at the Department of State
