UN Expert: American Unilateral Sanctions Breach Human Rights
EghtesadOnline: The imposition of "unilateral coercive measures" on Cuba, Venezuela and Iran by the United States violates human rights and international norms, an expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Monday.
Idriss Jazairy, the UN special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral sanctions, said in a statement that the use of economic sanctions for political purposes "violates human rights and the norms of international behavior".
He said such measures could accelerate manmade humanitarian catastrophes of unprecedented proportions, Xinhua reported.
"Regime change through economic measures, which likely lead to the denial of basic human rights and, indeed, possibly to starvation, have never been an accepted practice of international relations," Financial Tribune quoted Jazairy as saying.
"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," the UN expert concluded.