Politico unveils new list of EU sanctions against Iran
The European Union is considering new sanctions against nearly 40 Iranian individuals and entities, according to draft documents seen by U.S. news site Politico.
The additional sanctions are being discussed as part of the EU’s ongoing response to the crackdown on protesters following the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being held by morality police for not matching her dress code, the report said.
Evidence package
The report revealed that there are 27 EU documents, seen by Politico, called the “Evidence Package,” because they contain information and evidence supporting the proposed EU sanctions.
According to the documents, there are 17 senior Iranian figures on whom the EU is considering sanctions, including regional governors, a legislator, a minister, and a senior official in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Global Broadcasting Service. The sanctions will also target current and former officials of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Iranian sports minister implicated
According to the documents, the list includes Iran’s Sports Minister, Seyed Hamid Sajadi, who the document says is responsible for pressuring Iranian athletes to silence them, to prevent them from speaking out internationally against repression in Iran. His name was linked to the crisis of the much-publicized Elnaz Rekabi, an Iranian climber who participated unveiled in the Asian Rock Climbing Championships in the fall of 2022.
The document indicates that last December the family home of Elnaz Rekabi in Zanjan was demolished.
The report noted that among the 20 entities on the list are the Iran Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, which enforces the Iranian government’s requirements to filter internet content through a spyware program called CIAN and the Raqeen Academy, a body that has trained those directly involved in disrupting communications of anti-regime protesters and includes 12 regional legions of the IRGC.
IRGC Designated Terrorist Organization
EU countries, led by Germany, France and the Netherlands, are separately discussing whether to go further in branding Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a “terrorist organization.” On Monday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Barbok tweeted in support of the move, saying: “This move is politically important and meaningful,” and France kept the door open for the idea.
The United States has already designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and the United Kingdom will soon follow suit.
Earlier this year, Iran tried to reverse the U.S. move, making it a condition for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal signed between Tehran and several Western powers, Politico said.
The new EU sanctions are also expected to be finalized, shortly before EU ambassadors are due to discuss them.
