The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed sanctions on four senior Iranian force officials, in conjunction with the United Kingdom and the European Union.
The officials are accused of “brutal suppression of protests that broke out in September 2022” after Mahsa Jina Amini was arrested and killed while in custody of Iran’s Mortality Police, according to a news release.
“We remain committed to supporting the people of Iran as they face brutal repression from the Iranian regime. The United States took coordinated action with the United Kingdom today and sanctioned Iranian officials connected to serious human rights abuses or censorship in Iran," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an April 24 post on Twitter.
OFAC is imposing 11 rounds of sanctioning that target the officials in the Iranian regime that are involved in stopping peaceful demonstrations, according to a Treasury news release. These officials include Parvis Absalan, deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Salman Corps of Sistan and Baluchistan; Amanollah Goshtasbi, deputy inspector of IRGC Ground Forces; Ahmed Khadem Seyedoshohada, IRGC Ground Forces brigadier general; and Salman Adinehvand, current commander of the Tehran Police Relief Unit of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces of Iran. Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace Secretary Seyyed Mohammad Amin Aghamiri is accused of inhibiting free speech in Iran.
“The Iranian people deserve freedom of expression without the threat of violent retaliation and censorship from those in power,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson said in the release. “Along with our key allies and partners, such as the United Kingdom, the United States will continue to take action against those responsible for the regime’s violent repression and censorship.”
The U.S. Department of State is also imposing visa restrictions on 11 Iranian government officials believe to involved in the “abuse, detention or killing of peaceful protesters,” according to a State Department release.
“The United States condemns Iran’s continued human rights abuses and remains committed to supporting the people of Iran as they face the brutality of the Iranian regime and demand respect for their fundamental freedoms," Blinken said in the release.
