Israeli NGO threatens to sue Facebook for hosting Iranian ministers

Shurat Hadin Head: If Facebook thinks that it is above the law, now it has been warned; letter sent to Facebook CEO Zuckerberg.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Using Facebook on the Internet 370 (R) (photo credit: reuters)
Using Facebook on the Internet 370 (R)
(photo credit: reuters)
Shurat Hadin – Legal Action Center on Monday threatened to sue Facebook if it does not immediately and permanently take down a social media site recently provided to “15 ministers of Iran.”
A letter from Shurat Hadin to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and general counsel Colin Stretch noted that the state and government of Iran are under “numerous sanctions by the United States government.”
Next, Shurat Hadin said that various laws, presidential executive orders and regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury make it illegal “to export or supply goods, technology or services” to Iran or its government.
The letter indicated that providing social media “services” to ministers of the Iranian government violated the OFAC bans.
Further, Shurat Hadin said that Facebook and those providing services to Iran on behalf of Facebook could face civil and criminal charges due to Iran’s support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which the US considers terror groups.
The letter said that even the “seemingly innocuous material support” that Facebook is providing to Iran could lead to liability under a 2010 US Supreme Court ruling that defined training groups on the US terror list on how to conduct peace negotiations as illegal “material support” for the groups.
Shurat Hadin painted a grim picture of Facebook facing a “multi-million dollar” case from terror victims for alleged Facebook “aiding and abetting international terrorism,” as has happened to many other American corporations with some indirect or incidental connection with terror groups.
Shurat Hadin head Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said that “if Facebook thinks that it is above the law, now it has been warned that it could be civilly and criminally liable for the actions of Iran and its agents for supporting terror.”
She continued, “There is no person or organization in the US who is not bound by the American sanctions against Iran.”
Facebook had not responded to inquiries for a response by press time.