European Union member states on Monday approved a new round of sanctions against 29 individuals and three entities over domestic repression in Iran following the death of young Masha Amini in police custody, the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union confirmed.
«Foreign ministers adopt further sanctions against 29 individuals and three entities in Iran for their role in the death of Masha Amini and the violent response to the demonstrations,» the Czech Republic said in a message on social networks.
In this way, the EU extends the existing punitive measures for human rights violations in Iran to react to the situation unleashed in the country after the death of the 22-year-old woman arrested for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly.
With this step, the EU exceeds a hundred people included in its ‘black list’ for rights violations in Iran. Last October the EU-27 already took the first step to sanction those responsible for the case, when 11 individuals and four entities, including the head of the morality police, Mohamed Rostami, were included in the ‘blacklist’.
Amini’s death has led to nationwide protests that have been violently repelled by the Iranian authorities. Meanwhile, the EU continues to gather information on military support to Russia in the Ukrainian conflict and has already warned that it will redouble sanctions against Tehran if it confirms on its side the supply of ballistic missiles to Moscow.
The issue has been present in the declarations of foreign ministers who have pointed out that the EU-27 must respond to the shipment of Iranian missiles and give a «clear signal» that there will be «very harmful» sanctions and not the «symbolic measures approved for the supply of drones», as the Estonian minister, Urmas Reinsalu, has said.
«Clearly, if Iran sends drones and missiles that are used to attack civilian targets in Ukraine there has to be a response from the EU, but we will wait and see the evidence,» said the Irish head of state, Simon Coveney, while his Romanian counterpart, Bogdan Aurescu, expressed support for more sanctions against Moscow.
