The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 12 Iranian officials over human rights abuses including violent crackdowns on protesters, torture of prisoners and attacks on Iranian dissidents abroad.
The sanctions were announced around the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s “morality police.” Her death sparked mass protests across the country. Ahead of the anniversary, Iran’s government once again stepped up its crackdown on peaceful protesters.
“In the two years since the senseless murder of Mahsa Zhina Amini in the custody of Iran’s so-called Moral Police, the regime has continued to systematically violate the human rights of the Iranian people,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “The United States remains committed to exposing and sanctioning Iranian officials responsible for human rights abuses.”
A senior State Department official told CNN ahead of the anniversary: “It’s important to remember that even though there is a new Iranian president, a new Iranian leadership, we are seeing a continuation of this kind of human rights abuse.”
“It is important that the international community judge this administration by its actions and not its words,” said Victoria Taylor, deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran.
The new sanctions target four members of Iran’s security forces who participated in the violent crackdowns of 2022. One of those sanctioned, Hamid Khorramdel, is the commander of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unit “responsible for arresting and coercing confessions from activists,” according to the Treasury Department. A second officer, Mustafa Bazvand, led forces responsible for “killing at least one person and arresting several journalists covering the violence.”
They also target four officials who the US says perpetrated human rights abuses inside Iran’s prisons, including one, Alireza Babaei Farsani, who oversees the prison province where Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was tortured “with the goal of forcing him to make a televised confession.” A second official, Ahmad Reza Azadeh, runs a prison where at least one person who took part in the Amini protests faces “imminent execution” for his role.
“During Azadeh’s time as director of Shiban Prison, prison guards repeatedly used live ammunition and tear gas against prisoners protesting inadequate conditions at the prison,” the Treasury Department said. “Shiban prisoners were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, were denied medical care, and were blamed for the deaths of prisoners at the hands of security forces.”
The final four officials were sanctioned for their roles in targeting Iranian dissidents abroad. One of them, Yahya Hosseini Panjaki, “played a role in the attempted bombing of a gathering of Iranian dissidents in Paris, among other operations in Europe,” the Treasury Department said.
Another official, Javad Ghaffarhaddadi, is the head of the Special Operations division of Iran’s Intelligence Organization. That unit, according to the Treasury Department, “played a key role in targeting critics of the Iranian regime abroad, including the 2019 kidnapping of France-based journalist and political refugee Ruhollah Zam, which ultimately led to his execution in Iran.”
In addition to sanctions, Taylor told CNN the US is also “very focused on how we can ensure that the Iranian people have access to the free flow of information and the Internet.”
||Cnn
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2024-09-19 16:41:10
– What are the reasons behind the recent sanctions imposed by the United States on Iranian officials?
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United States Imposes Sanctions on 12 Iranian Officials for Human Rights Abuses
In a move aimed at holding accountable those responsible for human rights violations, the United States has imposed sanctions on 12 Iranian officials for their roles in human rights abuses, including violent crackdowns on protesters, torture of prisoners, and attacks on Iranian dissidents abroad.
The sanctions were announced on the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman who died in the custody of Iran’s “morality police,” sparking widespread protests across the country. Ahead of the anniversary, Iran’s government once again stepped up its crackdown on peaceful protesters, prompting international condemnation.
A Pattern of Human Rights Abuses
According to the US State Department, the Iranian regime has continued to systematically violate the human rights of the Iranian people, perpetrating abuses with impunity. ”In the two years since the senseless murder of Mahsa Zhina Amini in the custody of Iran’s so-called Moral Police, the regime has continued to systematically violate the human rights of the Iranian people,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in a statement. “The United States remains committed to exposing and sanctioning Iranian officials responsible for human rights abuses.”
A senior State Department official emphasized that despite changes in Iran’s leadership, the country’s human rights record remains abysmal. “It’s important to remember that even though there is a new Iranian president, a new Iranian leadership, we are seeing a continuation of this kind of human rights abuse,” the official told CNN.
Sanctions Target Iranian Security Forces and Prison Officials
The new sanctions target four members of Iran’s security forces, including Hamid Khorramdel, commander of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unit responsible for arresting and coercing confessions from activists. Another official, Mustafa Bazvand, led forces responsible for killing at least one person and arresting several journalists covering the violence.
Four officials were also sanctioned for their roles in perpetrating human rights abuses inside Iran’s prisons. Alireza Babaei Farsani, for example, oversees the prison province where Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was tortured “with the goal of forcing him to make a televised confession.” Ahmad Reza Azadeh, another sanctioned official, runs a prison where at least one person who took part in the Amini protests faces “imminent execution” for his role.
Abuses in Iranian Prisons
The sanctions highlight the egregious human rights abuses perpetrated in Iranian prisons. “During Azadeh’s time as director of Shiban Prison, prison guards repeatedly used live ammunition and tear gas against prisoners protesting inadequate conditions at the prison,” the Treasury Department said. “Shiban prisoners were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, were denied medical care, and were blamed for the deaths of prisoners at the hands of security forces.”
Targeting Iranian Dissidents Abroad
The final four officials were sanctioned for their roles in targeting Iranian dissidents abroad. Yahya Hosseini Panjaki, for example, “played a role in the attempted bombing of a gathering of Iranian dissidents in Paris, among other operations in Europe.” Javad Ghaffarhaddadi, another sanctioned official, is the head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, which has been responsible for plotting attacks against Iranian dissidents abroad.
International Condemnation
The United States’ sanctions are a clear message to the Iranian regime that its human rights abuses will not be tolerated. “It is important that the international community judge this administration by its actions and not its words,” said Victoria Taylor, deputy assistant secretary of state for Iraq and Iran.
The international community has repeatedly condemned Iran’s human rights record, and the latest sanctions demonstrate the United States’ commitment to holding accountable those responsible for these abuses.
Keywords: United States, sanctions, Iranian officials, human rights abuses, Mahsa Amini, Iran’s morality police, protest crackdowns, torture, Iranian dissidents, Iranian prisons, human rights violations.
– What are the reasons behind the US sanctions on 12 Iranian officials?
United States Imposes Sanctions on 12 Iranian Officials for Human Rights Violations
The United States has taken a significant step in holding accountable the Iranian officials responsible for human rights abuses, including violent crackdowns on protesters, torture of prisoners, and attacks on Iranian dissidents abroad. On Wednesday, the US imposed sanctions on 12 Iranian officials, citing their involvement in systematic violations of human rights.
Background of the Sanctions
The sanctions come just ahead of the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman who died in the custody of Iran’s “morality police.” Her tragic death sparked widespread protests across the country, which were met with brutal force by the Iranian government. The recent sanctions are a clear message from the US that it will not tolerate such human rights abuses and will continue to support the Iranian people’s quest for freedom and democracy.
Targeted Officials
The sanctions target four members of Iran’s security forces who played a key role in the violent crackdowns on protesters in 2022. One of them, Hamid Khorramdel, is the commander of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) unit responsible for arresting and coercing confessions from activists. Another, Mustafa Bazvand, led forces responsible for killing at least one person and arresting several journalists covering the violence.
Additionally, four officials were sanctioned for their roles in perpetrating human rights abuses inside Iran’s prisons. Alireza Babaei Farsani, for instance, oversees the prison province where Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi was tortured to force him to make a televised confession. Ahmad Reza Azadeh, another sanctioned official, runs a prison where at least one person who took part in the Amini protests faces imminent execution for his role.
The final four officials were sanctioned for their roles in targeting Iranian dissidents abroad. Yahya Hosseini Panjaki, for example, played a role in the attempted bombing of a gathering of Iranian dissidents in Paris, among other operations in Europe. Javad Ghaffarhaddadi, the head of the Special Operations division of Iran’s Intelligence Organization, was involved in targeting critics of the Iranian regime abroad, including the 2019 kidnapping of France-based journalist and political refugee Ruhollah Zam, which ultimately led to his execution in Iran.
US Commitment to Human Rights
The US State Department has reiterated its commitment to exposing and sanctioning Iranian officials responsible for human rights abuses. “In the two years since the senseless murder of Mahsa Zhina Amini in the custody of Iran’s so-called Moral Police, the regime has continued to systematically violate the human rights of the Iranian people,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
A senior State Department official emphasized that the international community must judge the new Iranian administration by its actions, not its words. “It’s important to remember that even though there is a new Iranian president, a new Iranian leadership, we are seeing a continuation of this kind of human rights abuse,” the official said.
Supporting the Iranian People
In addition to the sanctions, the US has pledged to support the Iranian people’s access to the free flow of information and the internet. This commitment is crucial in ensuring that the Iranian people can continue to organize and demand their rights, despite the government’s efforts to suppress their voices.
The recent sanctions imposed by the US on Iranian officials are a significant step in promoting accountability for human rights violations in Iran. The US government’s commitment to supporting the Iranian people and exposing those responsible for human rights abuses sends a strong message that the international community will not tolerate such violations.
