US Blacklists Iranian Entity Behind Bounty For Salman Rushdie

The US has blacklisted the Iranian organization that had issued a multi-million-dollar bounty for the killing of Indian-born British writer Salman Rushdie.

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action Friday against the 15 Khordad Foundation, one of the organizations created in 1982 on orders of the Islamic Republic’s founder Ruhollah Khomeini with aim of promoting the revolutionary ideology, under the supervision of the Office of the Supreme Leader.

Since Khomeini’s edict pronouncing a death sentence on Rushdie in February 1989, the 15 Khordad Foundation committed millions of dollars to anyone willing to carry out the heinous act and as well as later raising the reward for targeting the author.

“The United States will not waver in its determination to stand up to threats posed by Iranian authorities against the universal rights of freedom of expression, freedom of religion or belief, and freedom of the press,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson, adding that “This act of violence, which has been praised by the Iranian regime, is appalling. We all hope for Salman Rushdie’s speedy recovery following the attack on his life.”

Rushdie, who was stabbed in August because of the death edict, has lost sight in one eye and use of a hand, his agent Andrew Wyle revealed earlier in the month.

He was stabbed repeatedly for 20 seconds by Hadi Matar -- a 24-year-old resident of New Jersey who appreciates Khomeini -- in August as he was about to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York state.