• Saturday, 23 November 2024

Latest EU sanctions on Iran enter into force over protest crackdown

Latest EU sanctions on Iran enter into force over protest crackdown

Additional EU sanctions on Iran over human rights violations in Tehran's violent crackdown on anti-government protests entered into force on Monday, after publication in the EU Official Journal. "We stand with the Iranian people and support their right to protest peacefully and voice their demands and views freely," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said in a statement. The decision targets 29 individuals and three entities "in view of their role in the death of Mahsa Amini and the violent response to the recent demonstrations in Iran," a press release said. Among those sanctioned are "four members of the squad that arbitrarily arrested Mahsa Amini," members of the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, the statement read. Also Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi and high-ranking members of the the Basij paramilitary force are now banned from travelling to the EU and have their potential assets in the bloc frozen. In total, 126 individuals and 11 organizations from Iran are now subject to EU sanctions over human rights violations.