ICC Report Exposes Hidden Cost of Sanctions on Persecuted Christians

6/23/2025 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) — International sanctions cripple more than just governments, they’re also crushing vulnerable Christian communities.  

In a new report released today, “Sanctioned and Silenced: Why sanctions have failed Christian communities in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq,” International Christian Concern (ICC) Fellow Daniel St John exposes the unintended consequences of global economic sanctions, revealing how policies designed to target regimes like in places like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan are instead deepening humanitarian crises and disproportionately harming religious minorities.  

The report documents how financial institutions, fearing regulatory backlash, routinely over-comply with sanctions, freezing accounts and blocking essential transactions for humanitarian work. During the 2023 earthquake in Syria, for example, this financial paralysis delayed the delivery of life-saving aid at a critical moment.  

Already at risk, Christian communities face worsening economic hardship and displacement as sanctions tighten their grip on everyday life. ICC’s report calls on global policymakers and aid organizations to rethink the blunt tool of sanctions and urgently adopt more humane, targeted approaches that protect the innocent instead of punishing them.  

To read the full report, click here.  

For interviews, please contact press@persecution.org.

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