The foreign ministers of the EU Member States decided on Monday 14 November to sanction an additional 29 individuals and 3 entities in Iran for their role in the death of Mahsa Amini and the “violent response” to the protests.
Among the individuals is the Iranian Minister of Interior, Ahmad Vahidi. “In this role, he is responsible for the Iranian law enforcement agencies”, the EU Council decision said. The designations also include the four members of the brigade that arbitrarily arrested Mahsa Amini, the provincial heads of the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Brigadier General Kiyumars Heidari, the commander of the ground forces of the Iranian Army, and Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, the head of the Iranian cyber police.
The Basij Cooperative Foundation, an entity affiliated with the EU-listed Basij Resistance Force which is “responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran”, the state-owned television company Press TV, which is “responsible for producing and broadcasting forced confessions of detainees”, and Arvan Cloud, an “Iranian IT company that supports the Iranian government’s efforts to control access to the Iranian intranet”, are also now subject to restrictive measures.
A total of 126 individuals and 11 entities have now been sanctioned by the EU in connection with human rights violations in Iran.
In conclusions adopted on ‘Women, Peace and Security’ (see other news), the EU Council has called on the Iranian authorities to release all non-violent demonstrators, ensure a fair trial for all detainees, and provide clarification on the number of deaths and persons arrested. “The rights of women and girls in Iran must be respected and protected and their full, equal and meaningful participation in public life, including decision-making, must be ensured” according to the conclusions. The text also states that the EU Council expects the Iranian authorities to respect the principles enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Furthermore, the EU has also sanctioned two Iranian officials and two entities in connection with Russia's use of Iranian drones in Ukraine (see other news). High Representative of the Union Josep Borrell has said that the EU could take further action on the issue.
See the Official Journal of the EU: https://aeur.eu/f/427 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)