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EU countries back new Iran sanctions over protest crackdown, sources say

People participate in a protest against Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi outside of the United Nations on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2022, in New York. Protests have broke out over the death of a 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody for allegedly violating the country’s hijab rules. European Union countries, meanwhile, have backed additional sanctions on Iran over the violent crackdown against anti-government protests, multiple EU diplomats told dpa on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images/TNS) (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images North America/TNS)
By Doris Pundy, Ciarán Sunderland and Ansgar Haase German Press Agency

BRUSSELS – European Union countries have backed additional sanctions on Iran over the violent crackdown against anti-government protests, multiple EU diplomats told the German Press Agency on Friday.

The punitive measures are expected to affect 31 individuals and entities – including, for example, senior representatives of the police and Basij paramilitary force.

The targeted people are to be banned from traveling to the bloc and will have any assets in the EU frozen.

The panel of permanent representatives of the EU member states in Brussels unanimously adopted the plans on Friday, diplomats said.

Final confirmation is set to come from European Union foreign ministers on Monday.

Nationwide protests in Iran were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in September. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman died after being detained by Iran’s morality police because her headscarf allegedly did not comply with the country’s strict public dress regulations for women.

Hundreds of people have been killed since the start of the protests, according to human rights activists, and more than 14,000 arrested.

It is the third time in recent weeks that the EU has imposed punitive measures on Iran.

The bloc on Oct. 17 adopted sanctions on Tehran over the crackdown on protesters. Eleven individuals and four entities were sanctioned including two members of the morality police, as well as the Iranian minister of information and communications.

Three days later the EU adopted additional measures over Iran’s supply of drones to Russia that were allegedly used in strikes against critical Ukrainian infrastructure.

The sanctions related to the protests and to Ukraine come on top of years of previous measures against Tehran imposed by the EU.

The EU has repeatedly imposed sanctions since the United Nations started adopting resolutions requiring Tehran to stop enriching uranium with the purpose of nuclear proliferation in 2006.

Additionally the bloc has implemented a number of economic and financial measures including trade and transport restrictions as well as freezing assets of major Iranian banks.

Currently 97 people and eight entities are affected by travel bans and asset freezes because of “serious human rights violations in Iran,” according to a European Council news release.