Iranian judiciary drawn into net of new EU sanctions
Josep Borrell Fontelles - Photo © European Union 2023
(BRUSSELS) - The EU Council imposed a new set of sanctions on Iran Monday, including on another 32 individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.
Among the persons listed are the Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Minister of Education, the deputy commander and spokesperson of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the co-founders of EU-listed Ravin Academy, members of the Iranian parliament supporting the violent crackdown, members of the police, judiciary in various parts of the country, and prison wardens and directors.
The new designations also target the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) Cooperation Foundation and the Police Science and Social Studies Institute.
Restrictive measures on Iran now apply to a total of 196 individuals and 33 entities. They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment which might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications is also in place.
The European Union and member states have urged Iranian authorities to stop the violent crackdown against peaceful protests, cease their resort to arbitrary detentions as a means of silencing critical voices and release all those unjustly detained.
The Union calls on Iran to end the practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters, reverse the death penalty sentences pronounced, as well as provide due process to all detainees.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU also "strongly rejects Iran's practice of arbitrary detention targeting EU and dual EU-Iranian nationals." He called on Iran to "end the distressing practice of detaining foreign civilians with a view to making political gains".
Official Journal of the EU (including the names of the listed persons and entities)