US sanctions on Iran violate Geneva conventions: American Scholar
US and European sanctions imposed against Iran over its nuclear energy program violate the Geneva conventions and constitute a war crime, because they are a form of collective punishment, an American scholar says.
The illegal sanctions on Iran were imposed based on the unfounded accusation that Tehran is pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program, said James Henry Fetzer, a retired professor in Madison, Wisconsin.
The American embargo on Iran was imposed even though the US intelligence community concluded that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons, Fetzer said on Thursday during a phone interview with Press TV.
Fetzer praised the Swiss government for lifting some economic sanctions on Thursday following the recent nuclear accord between Tehran the P5+1 group of countries.
Switzerland’s decision removes a ban on trading precious metals with Iranian companies. It also eases requirements to report trade in Iranian petrochemical products and the transport of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products.
The Swiss government said it wants the decision to be seen as a sign of support for the Iran nuclear agreement reached in Vienna last month.
Switzerland had already suspended its own sanctions on Iran since January 2014 following an interim nuclear deal between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries – the US, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany.
However, Swiss companies remain subject to the US and EU restrictions. On Wednesday, the US warned Swiss companies would be exposed to secondary US sanctions on Iran if they trade with Iranian companies.
M. Wassouf