The inner circle of power of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards must adapt to entry bans and the freezing of foreign assets. The EU foreign ministers agree on sanctions against other Iranian people and institutions because of the brutal suppression of protests.
The EU imposes new sanctions because of the serious violations of human rights in Iran. At a meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministers of the 27 member states unanimously decided on punitive measures against responsible persons and organizations in Iran. Specifically, 31 people and institutions are said to be affected by the punitive measures - including, for example, members of the inner circle of power of the Revolutionary Guards. The punitive measures include imposing travel bans and freezing assets held in the EU.
Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock saw the new sanctions as a clear signal to the government in Tehran. "We are sending a new and unmistakable signal to the Iranian regime: Human rights are indivisible," said the Green politician. Those in power in Iran believed they could oppress, intimidate and kill people without consequences. "They can't do that. That has consequences. And the world, Europe is watching."
The background to the sanctions is the brutal suppression of protests after the death of 22-year-old Iranian Mahsa Amini. The vice squad arrested the young woman on September 13 for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes. Amini then died in police custody on September 16. Since her death, tens of thousands have been demonstrating across the country against the government's repressive course and the Islamic system of rule.
According to human rights activists, almost 15,000 participants in demonstrations have been arrested so far. The government in Tehran has not confirmed these figures, but has not given any others either. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) in the US, at least 330 people have been killed in the protests.
As early as mid-October, the EU had decided on a first package of sanctions because of what was happening in Iran. It targeted the Iranian moral police and more than a dozen other individuals and organizations. At that time, too, members of the Basij militias, which the EU held responsible for the deaths of several demonstrators, were sanctioned.
Apart from the sanctions for human rights violations, the EU recently imposed new sanctions on Iran for supporting the Russian war against Ukraine. So far, the company Shahed Aviation Industries and three high-ranking military personnel have been affected. According to the EU, you are involved in the development and supply of combat drones to Russia, which will be used by the Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine.
