Hundreds of lawyers from around the world signed a letter to Biden: the surge in US financial sanctions has hurt civilians

Hundreds of lawyers from around the world have called on the United States to end its use of unilateral economic sanctions, saying such tools amount to collective punishment of civilians and are illegal under international law. In a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, lawyers, legal organizations and academics criticized the U.S.'s growing reliance on sanctions to punish and coerce its adversaries, saying the measures could lead to economic instability, starvation, and dwindling supplies of medicines and essential goods. "Collective punishment is standard practice in U.S. foreign policy today in the form of widespread unilateral economic and financial sanctions," the letter reads. While the use of sanctions is different from conventional warfare, "the collective impact on civilians can be just as indiscriminate, punitive, and deadly".