US sanctions Russia, China and Iran for human rights violations

The United States imposed sanctions on Friday on different people and entities due to alleged human rights violations, including Russia's Central Election Commission, Iranian officials, and Chinese nationals.

Chinese Nationals Li Zhenyu and Zhuo Xinrong, and 10 entities linked to them, were among those sanctioned. Also sanctioned was Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprise (PME), over what Washington says are human rights abuses tied to China-based illegal fishing, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

This is the first time the U.S. has imposed sanctions on an entity listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, Reuters reported.

"These designations demonstrate how seriously we take the problem of illicit fishing and our commitment to holding the perpetrators of serious human rights abuses to account," the Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.

The Treasury issued a general license which authorized the United States to engage in certain transactions related to debt or equity of PME until March 9. 

The country imposed sanctions on Russia for alleged war crimes against Ukraine including the alleged operation system of so-called filtration camps to move Ukrainians in occupied areas into Russia.

Russia has denied these allegations and said Ukraine is conducting a smear campaign.