WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US Treasury Department said on Friday it had imposed sanctions on four Iraqis for human rights abuses or corruption, after Washington criticized the killing of demonstrators in protests since early October.
The sanctions target Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq group and his brother Laith al-Khazali, one of the group's leaders.
The sanctions also included businessman Khamis al-Khanjar al-Issawi, and Hussein Faleh al-Lami, security official in the Popular Mobilization Forces, which includes armed factions and is also dominated by Iranian-backed groups, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
In the same context, Reuters quoted a senior State Department official that Washington is preparing a new list of sanctions in connection with the protests in Iraq.