The Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center threatened on Monday to take legal action against Facebook unless it stops providing service to Iranian ministers, whose presence on the social network is a breach of the U.S. sanctions against the country.
Israeli media recently reported that 15 Iranian ministers opened Facebook accounts, despite the country being banned from the social network. Facebook is a California-based company and is thus subject to U.S. law. Current Iran sanctions prevent any American company from providing services to Iranian government officials.
In a letter addressed to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and legal counselor Colin Stretch, Shurat HaDin said that supporting Iran, which sides with recognized terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas, constitutes a criminal act.
We request that you immediately provide us written confirmation that Facebook, Inc. has permanently discontinued the provision of social media and associated services to the Government and State of Iran, including all Ministers of the State of Iran. Absent such confirmation, we will seek all available relief and remedies against Facebook, Inc. in all relevant jurisdictions, the letter stated.