Washington
CNN
—
The Biden management took motion Wednesday in opposition to a number of Iranian officers and entities for committing human rights abuses in opposition to girls and women in the newest spherical of sanctions in opposition to Tehran over its crackdown on unrest within the nation.
As the arena marked International Women’s Day, Wednesday’s movements come with sanctions in opposition to two senior officers in Iran’s jail gadget accountable for “serious” human rights abuses, consistent with the USA Treasury Department.
“The United States remains deeply concerned that Iranian authorities continue to suppress dissent and peaceful protest, including through mass arrests, sham trials, hasty executions, the detention of journalists, and the use of sexual violence as a means of protest suppression,” mentioned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In coordination with the European Union, United Kingdom and Australia, the Treasury could also be sanctioning 3 Iranian firms, a most sensible Iranian commander, a “high-ranking” chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and an Iranian respectable the USA executive alleges is “central” to Iran’s skill to dam web get entry to.
This is the 10th spherical of economic sanctions in opposition to Iran because the regime’s brutal crackdown of non violent protests after the dying of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini ultimate yr posed the most important home risk to the Iranian regime in years. But since then, the national protests that began ultimate September have petered out within the face of a brutal wave of repression in opposition to protestors, particularly ladies.
“The United States, along with our partners and allies, stand with the women of Iran, who advocate for fundamental freedoms in the face of a brutal regime that treats women as second-class citizens and attempts to suppress their voices by any means,” mentioned beneath secretary Brian Nelson, the Treasury’s most sensible respectable accountable for monetary sanctions.
The two sanctioned jail officers, Ali Chaharmahali and Dariush Bakhshi, have run prisons the place political prisoners and protesters were tortured, sexually abused and violently threatened, consistent with the Treasury.
Bakhshi, consistent with the USA, has “personally overseen” the abuse of prisoners who’re being held by way of the regime for political or non secular causes.
“Both officials were complicit in the mistreatment of inmates in their custody by security forces, including through rape, torture, or other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment,” mentioned Blinken.
The sanctions additionally come after CNN printed an in depth record ultimate month on an exceptional community of secret torture facilities utilized by Iran to overwhelm political unrest.
The 3 firms sanctioned Wednesday – Naji Pas Company, Naji Pars Amin Institute and Entebagh Gostar Sepehr Company – and their management have helped procure items and materiel for Iran’s safety services and products, consistent with the Treasury.
The different most sensible Iranian officers focused by way of the USA Wednesday come with Mahdi Amiri, who has been “central” to the regime’s web shutdowns within the face of in style protests, in addition to Sayyed Abdolrahim Mousavi, the commander in leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, and Habib Shahsavari, a commander within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, consistent with the Treasury.
Troops beneath Mousavi’s command have suppressed non violent demonstrations in 2019 and 2022, together with allegedly firing weapons at demonstrators, and forces led by way of Shahsvari have “detained and tortured” other people, consistent with the USA.
“We will continue to take action against the regime, which perpetuates abuse and violence against its own citizens— especially women and girls,” mentioned Nelson.
