On the occasion of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, the USA and the EU are imposing further sanctions against Iran. Those who suppress human rights in Iran should be held accountable.
The EU and the USA have imposed new sanctions on the first anniversary of the death of Iranian protest icon Jina Mahsa Amini in connection with the brutal suppression of anti-government protests in the country.
Four people and six institutions and companies are affected by the EU punitive measures. Specifically, it concerns, among other things, two police commanders, a representative of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC), as well as several prisons and the Tasnim news agency.
The latter is accused by the EU of serving “as a propaganda machine for the Iranian regime.” The news company was responsible for publishing false confessions from protest participants and uploading images of protest participants on social media – along with requests to help identify them, the EU Official Journal said.
Washington imposed punitive measures against 25 Iranian individuals, three Iranian state-backed media outlets and an Iranian internet research company, the US State Department said. The US took this action in coordination with Britain, Canada, Australia and other partners who also planned to impose sanctions this week, it said.
13th round of sanctions
Visa restrictions were also imposed on 13 Iranian officials who were involved in arresting or killing peaceful demonstrators or restricting their rights to freedom of expression and assembly. This is the 13th round of sanctions against Iran in connection with the “brutal suppression of the protests by the regime”. US President Joe Biden had previously assured the protesters of continued support on the first anniversary of Amini’s death this Saturday.
The wave of protests in Iran began last year after the death of the Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini. The young woman died in police custody on September 16, 2022, after being violently arrested by the moral police for violating Islamic dress codes. The demonstrations were initially directed against the compulsory headscarf, then against the entire Islamic system. Iran’s security apparatus violently suppressed the protests in 2022.
EU: 227 people and 43 organizations affected
The EU has already placed numerous representatives of the government, parliament, the judiciary and the military on its sanctions list in recent months due to the violation of human rights in Iran. The punitive measures stipulate that assets existing in the EU must be frozen. In addition, affected people are no longer allowed to enter the EU. According to the EU, a total of 227 people and 43 organizations are now affected.
In a statement on the first anniversary of Amini’s death this Saturday, the EU states also threatened the government in Iran with further tightening of sanctions. All available options are being examined to address questions about the human rights situation in the Islamic republic, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on behalf of the member states. The EU and its Member States strongly reiterated their support for the fundamental rights of Iranian women and men. All people arbitrarily detained must be released immediately. This also included EU citizens and those with dual nationality.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
