Iran orders US to pay $6.8bln for severe sanctions impact on patients
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This is the result of independent United Nations experts back in October 2021 revealing the impact of the US sanctions on epidermolysis bullosa patients.
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One of Iran's courts in an undated photo (AFP)
A court in Iran has ordered the US to pay around $6.785 billion in damages as compensation to patients with rare skin disease - epidermolysis bullosa - due to the effect of sanctions, according to the judiciary's Mizan Online website.
According to Mizan, the US measures "deprived these patients of medicines and ointments," which led to "the death of about 20 people," adding that the trial, which began in November 2021 with 295 complainants, took 30 American officials to court for "having participated in the establishment of the sanctions."
The case was filed after independent United Nations experts back in October 2021 cited the impact of the US measures on epidermolysis bullosa patients as an example of "over-compliance with sanctions."
Even though the US excluded humanitarian goods, medicines, and medical equipment from its sanctions, international purchases were obstructed due to banks being worried of conducting business with Iran.
The UN experts cited a Swedish company that stopped the sale of special bandages to its Iranian client, which were supposed to provide vital relief to patients with epidermolysis bullosa.
Read more: Iran sanctions 11 Americans for violating US encampment student rights
Back in March, Mizan reported that Iran ordered the capture of American oil worth more than $50 million on a tanker seized in 2023, in retaliation for "the sanctions of Western countries, especially the United States, which led to the prevention of the sale of drugs needed for epidermolysis bullosa patients."
Two months ago, Ali Alghasi-Mehr, the judiciary chief for the Tehran province, mentioned that the US had been convicted for the disease, which is also known as the butterfly disease.
He noted that the US government was ordered to pay $1.475 billion in material damages to the patients ($5 million to each claimant) and $5.31 billion in compensation for moral damage due to Washington’s unlawful sanctions against Iran.
