To the Governments of Democratic and Free Nations

Stop Sanctions Evasion by Closing Family-Based Loopholes

We, the undersigned, call on democratic governments to extend existing sanctions, including Magnitsky-style human rights sanctions, to immediate family members of sanctioned officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran who knowingly benefit from or help shield assets derived from repression, corruption, and sanctions evasion.

 
Why This Matters

The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly:

• Shut down the internet to silence dissent
• Used lethal force against protesters, including minors
• Carried out systematic human rights abuses
• Stolen national wealth through corruption and abuse of power

At the same time, many senior officials’ immediate family members live safely in Western countries, enjoying freedoms that are denied to the people of Iran.

In numerous cases, these family members:

• Hold or manage assets on behalf of sanctioned officials
• Benefit from wealth taken from the Iranian people
• Help officials bypass sanctions by acting as financial or legal proxies
• Publicly support or normalize a repressive regime while living abroad
• This creates a sanctions loophole that undermines accountability.

 
Our Ask
We call on governments to:

Extend existing sanctions to immediate family members of sanctioned Iranian officials who knowingly:

• Benefit from corruption or repression
• Assist in hiding, moving, or laundering assets
• Enable sanctions evasion
• Act as financial, legal, or public enablers of state repression

Such sanctions should include:

• Asset freezes
• Banking and financial restrictions
• Travel and visa limitations

These measures already exist under current sanctions laws and can be applied immediately.

 
A Matter of Fairness and Integrity

Sanctions that stop with the official—but leave family-based financial networks untouched—fail to achieve justice.

Freedom should not be enjoyed abroad by those who profit from its denial at home.

Extending sanctions to immediate family members closes loopholes, strengthens the rule of law, and stands with the people of Iran.

 
Signed,
Concerned citizens, members of the Iranian diaspora, and supporters of human rights worldwide