The economic sanctions that the United States loves to unilaterally impose on countries it does not perceive as a friend have reached the extreme, so much so that hundreds of lawyers from around the world have jointly signed a letter addressed to President Joe Biden calling for an end to such sanctions.

US-led sanctions serve its political purpose of suppressing the countries it sees as rivals instead of promoting its claimed humanitarian value for civilians. The best example of this is that the US imposed sanction on the Palestinian Authority following Hamas' victory in legislative body elections in January 2006, on the ground that the Hamas had interests in the PA's transactions. However, the US did not impose any sanctions against Israel despite Israel bombing and killing over 30,000 civilians in the latest conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Ironically, the US imposes sanctions at will, making use of its dollar hegemony and dominance in the Western world against nations it dislikes. It imposes such sanctions in the name of "freeing" the people there, but the people end up being the direct victims of the sanctions. Now the petition by the lawyers from around the world reflects the voice of the globe. It's time the US government heard it.