Rights groups, lawmakers urge Trump sanctions to be retrieved for Israel magn

The U.S. Treasury imposed the sanctions in December 2017 and June 2018, accusing Gertler of using his alliance with the former President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila, to enforce more than a billion billion worth of mining contracts earn dollars.

But the administration of former Republican President Donald Trump eased the sanctions in a secret act in his last week in office, a permit issued by the Treasury Department showed.

In a joint letter, the Human Rights Guard, Oxfam and other agencies urged U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken – who were recently deposed as members of the Democratic President’s cabinet Joe Biden – to reverse the course, arguing that the Trump administration’s move against the U.S. – attempts to overthrow and overthrow a dangerous desert under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program.

It also halted “the forced, defiant, and sometimes dangerous work of Congolese and other civil society organizations and activists,” the groups said.

“We urge the Biden administration to immediately review this last-minute permit, and, subject to relevant information, reverse their decision. The U.S. must ensure that its and interferes with the production of alleged corruption during the movement, or for political. reasons, “they wrote.

Senators Cory Booker, Ben Cardin and Dick Durbin, all Democrats, on Tuesday urged Yellen to suspend Gertler ‘s approval.

The Treasury did not immediately respond to the letter. The department has said it is aware of the Trump administration’s action, but has not commented on whether to implement it.

The sanctions had prevented Gertler from doing business with U.S. citizens, companies, or banks, effectively preventing him from doing business in dollars.

Gertler has always denied being wrong and argued that his investments in Congo supported the country’s development.