European Union Sanctions 11 Iranian Officials and Four Institutions for Role in Suppressing Protesters
The European Union on Monday sanctioned four institutions and eleven high-ranking Iranian military and security officials, including Isa Zarepour, Minister of Communications, for their role in the widespread suppression of public protests.
According to the European Council website, foreign ministers of the European Union in their meeting today sanctioned the Morality Police, Basij Mobilization Forces, the Cyber Defense Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Ahmad Mirzaei, head of the Guidance Patrol in Tehran, and Mohammad Rostami, head of the Morality Police of the Law Enforcement Force, are also on the new list of European sanctions against Iran.
The names of other sanctioned individuals are: Hossein Rahimi, commander of the capital’s police force, Abbas Abdi, commander of the law enforcement force in Divandarreh, Kurdistan Province, Ali Azadi, commander of the law enforcement force in Kurdistan Province, Ali Safari, commander of the law enforcement force in Saqqez, Mohammad Hossein Sepehr, commander of the Central Training Headquarters of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ali Reza Adiani, head of ideological and political affairs of Frajaa, Mohammad Zaman Shalikkar, commander of the law enforcement force in Babol, and Salman Haidari, commander of the law enforcement force in Boukan.
The report adds that the sanctions are due to the role of these individuals and institutions in the death of Mahsa Amini in Guidance Patrol custody, violent suppression of public protests, cutting off people’s internet access, and widespread detention of protesters. “The European Union and its member states condemn the widespread and disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters. This is unjustifiable and unacceptable. People in Iran, like anywhere else, have the right to peaceful protest, and this right must be protected under all circumstances.”
The European Union further stated that it expects Iran to immediately stop violent suppression of peaceful protesters, release detainees, and end restrictions imposed on the free flow of information, including internet access.
The statement also clarified that the European Union expects Iran to provide transparency regarding the number of deaths and detainees and to establish proper procedures for the release of all detainees: “The killing of Mahsa Amini should be properly investigated and any perpetrators proven responsible for her death must be held accountable.” The adoption of European Union sanctions comes as Politico recently reported that Iran, by sending a private letter to a group of European diplomats, had threatened them for their efforts to impose human rights sanctions against Tehran over the deadly suppression of public protests, stating that the approval of sanctions could damage relations between the European Union and Iran.
Before the European Union, Britain, the United States, and Canada had also sanctioned officials and institutions involved in the bloody suppression of peaceful public protests.
In the absence of official government statistics, the Hrana human rights database reported on October 15 that, according to this database’s sources, between September 17 and October 14, 2022, at least 240 protesters, including 32 children, were killed by the Islamic Republic’s security forces.
According to these statistics, so far 26 members of the Islamic Republic’s security forces have also been killed during the suppression of protesters.
While the Islamic Republic has not provided accurate figures on arrests made during recent protests, this news database estimates the number of detainees at approximately 7,800 people, of whom the identities of 738 individuals, including 175 detained students, have been identified.
Source: Radio Farda
