European Union to impose sanctions on commanders of Iranian militias
It comes in response to the brutal suppression of demonstrations at the end of 2019 in which about 1,500 people were killed. The sanctions will include a ban on travel to EU states and freezing of assets
Dan Arkin
| 01/04/2021
The protests in Iran, November 2019. Photo: Fars News Agency/commons.wikimedia.org
The European Union is to impose sanctions against eight militia and police commanders in Iran and three Iranian state entities in the coming weeks in response to the brutal repression of demonstrations in November 2019 by the authorities.
The sanctions include a ban on travel to countries of the European Union and freezing of assets. Diplomatic sources told Reuters that sanctions will be imposed on commanders of the Basij militia, under the Revolutionary Guards. Iran rejected accusations by the West over the brutal suppression of the demonstrations, but about 1,500 people were killed in two weeks of demonstrations and rioting in November 2019.
A special report by the UN determined that the Iranian authorities operated units that used lethal force against demonstrators, and Tehran refused to investigate the accusations. The UN is once again warning about the human rights situation in Iran, such as the large number of executions, including of juveniles, the use of torture to coerce confessions, and forcing 10-year-old girls to marry whomever the regime decides they should.
It comes in response to the brutal suppression of demonstrations at the end of 2019 in which about 1,500 people were killed. The sanctions will include a ban on travel to EU states and freezing of assets
The protests in Iran, November 2019. Photo: Fars News Agency/commons.wikimedia.org
The European Union is to impose sanctions against eight militia and police commanders in Iran and three Iranian state entities in the coming weeks in response to the brutal repression of demonstrations in November 2019 by the authorities.
The sanctions include a ban on travel to countries of the European Union and freezing of assets. Diplomatic sources told Reuters that sanctions will be imposed on commanders of the Basij militia, under the Revolutionary Guards. Iran rejected accusations by the West over the brutal suppression of the demonstrations, but about 1,500 people were killed in two weeks of demonstrations and rioting in November 2019.
A special report by the UN determined that the Iranian authorities operated units that used lethal force against demonstrators, and Tehran refused to investigate the accusations. The UN is once again warning about the human rights situation in Iran, such as the large number of executions, including of juveniles, the use of torture to coerce confessions, and forcing 10-year-old girls to marry whomever the regime decides they should.
