The US Treasury Department has announced new sanctions targeting officials including Iran’s prosecutor general.
The United States has announced another round of sanctions against Iranian officials targeting organizations and government figures involved in a government crackdown on protesters.
The US Department of the Treasury said in a statement on Wednesday that it was imposing sanctions on Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri for his involvement in protest-related executions, as well as several other figures and organizations the US has accused of human rights abuses. Alleged collusion.
“The case of the first executed protester, a young man named Mohsin Shekhri, progressed with little resemblance to a meaningful trial,” the Treasury said in a news release Wednesday, adding that Montezzari had “acted decisively.” A direction was issued to the courts for the same.” ‘ and issue harsh punishments to the many people arrested during the ongoing protests.
The US government has used a series of sanctions to increase pressure on the Iranian government, which has responded to protests across the country challenging Iran’s clerical regime with repressive action.
Iran has pushed back against criticism of its human rights record and accused the US of using double standards to score points against a country seen as an American rival.
Several hundred people have been killed since protests broke out in September following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died in police custody after being arrested by the country’s “morality” in September, according to human rights groups outside Iran. had died. police”.
The Iranian government carried out its second protest-related execution earlier this month, executing a man named Majidreza Rahnvard for allegedly killing two members of the security forces.
The announcement by Treasury said that, in addition to Montezzeri, several figures associated with military and paramilitary organizations would also be sanctioned, as well as a manufacturing company that provides riot gear to Iranian security forces.
“Today’s action is violently cracking down on and detaining protesters, along with the senior official overseeing the prosecution of protesters, as well as leaders of military and paramilitary organizations,” the release said.
The Eman Sanat Zaman Fara company has been designated by the US because it manufactures equipment used by Iran’s law enforcement forces (LEF), a group deployed by the government to suppress protests in areas where Some allegations have been leveled against the government. The most severe alleged abuse.
Other acknowledged figures include Moslem Moeen, who said the Treasury oversaw online censorship efforts through the paramilitary “Basij Resistance Forces”, and Hossein Maroufi, deputy coordinator of the Basij.
Earlier this month, Washington designated Ali Akbar Javidan, an LEF commander in the Iranian province of Kermanshah, where LEF forces were accused of killing protesters. Another LEF commander, Ibrahim Kuchakzai, was also targeted in the city of Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman.
Sanctions freeze any US-based assets held by individuals or organizations and generally prevent people in the US from dealing in them.
The US has led an effort to pressure Iran over alleged human rights abuses, successfully pushing for Iran’s expulsion from the premier women’s rights body at the United Nations earlier this month.
