EU to sanction Iranian officials over “hostage diplomacy”

The European Council decided on Monday to impose restrictive measures on an additional seven individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran, including for the use of the judiciary as a tool for arbitrary detention.

"The European Union continues to be deeply concerned by Iran’s distressing practice to arbitrarily detain EU mono and dual nationals on spurious grounds, with a view to making political gains. Last year, there was a dramatic increase in the number of executions, including of women and individuals belonging to ethnic and religious minorities, as well as of one European citizen," - Council's statement reads.

In this context, the EU is imposing sanctions on the Shiraz Central Prison, located in Fars Province, and the First Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz. Furthermore, the EU is imposing restrictive measures on members of the judiciary, including Farzadi Hedayatollah, head of Evin prison, and Mehdi Nemati, head of the Fars Prisons Protection and Intelligence Department.

Restrictive measures now apply to a total of 232 individuals and 44 entities. They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU, and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment, that might be used for internal repression, and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications is also in place.

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