Iranians in Brussels protest against the crackdown in front of the Commissariat for Refugees HQ. EPA
Iranians in Brussels protest against the crackdown in front of the Commissariat for Refugees HQ. EPA
Iranians in Brussels protest against the crackdown in front of the Commissariat for Refugees HQ. EPA
Iranians in Brussels protest against the crackdown in front of the Commissariat for Refugees HQ. EPA

EU targets Iranian judges and IRGC commander in new sanctions package


Sunniva Rose
  • English
  • Arabic

The EU on Monday issued its ninth package of sanctions against seven Iranian individuals, including judges and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, for their role in the crackdown against an antigovernment protest movement that started in September.

"The breaches against human rights in Iran [are] well noticed in the EU and we do what we can to hamper that as well," said Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom as he arrived at a meeting with his counterparts in Luxembourg. Sweden currently holds the rotating six-month EU presidency.

European foreign ministers have regularly adopted sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities accused of human rights breaches since September 16, when nationwide protests erupted after the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Human rights groups said hundreds have died in the ensuing crackdown, including dozens of security personnel.

The European Council said that the package targeted IRGC commander of Isfahan province Mojtaba Fada, among others.

Two court officials in the province were also listed: public and revolutionary prosecutor Seyyed Mousvian and deputy judge of the provincial criminal court Ali Zare Nouri.

They are responsible "for the trials against the protestors Saleh Mirhashmi, Majid Kazemi and Saied Yaqoubi, subsequently executed in May 2023," according to the council.

Their deaths brought the number of Iranians executed in connection with the protests, which Tehran has described as foreign-instigated riots, to seven.

The council also listed two security officials from the northern city of Rezvanshahr.

One of those targeted is governor and head of the local security council Seyyed Mirmahalleh, accused of ordering officers to open fire on protesters, which led to "numerous deaths and injuries, including to children."

Police commander Seyyed Safavi was also targeted for executing the orders.

Lastly, sanctions were imposed on Seyyed Hosseini, governor of Amol, "responsible for the killing of at least two young Iranian protesters," and Rashid Kaboudvandi, commander of the Imam Hossein Guards Corps of Karaj over the "detention and killing of [protester] Mohammad Reza Ghorbani and the detention and rape of [Armita] Abbassi by the Karaj security forces."

Iranian protester Armita Abbasi. Photo: ami.abbasi / Instagram
Iranian protester Armita Abbasi. Photo: ami.abbasi / Instagram

Ms Abbassi, 20, was released from prison in February after four months in jail, according to her family.

Sanctions consist of an asset freeze, an EU travel ban and prohibition from making funds or economic resources available to those listed.

EU sanctions over the Iran protests now apply to a total of 223 individuals and 37 entities.

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Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

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• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.

• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.

• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.

• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.

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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

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The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general. 

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Updated: June 26, 2023, 1:55 PM`