EU sanctions Iranian officials, entities over protest crackdown

The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on Iran’s interior minister and several senior police and military officials over their alleged roles in the security crackdown against massive anti-government protests.

The bloc targeted Interior Minister Ahmad Wahidi and the head of Iran’s ground forces Kiumars Heidari, among those it said were responsible for the repression of demonstrations after the death of Mahsa Amini.

Four members of the squad who detained Mahsa Amini were also put on the blacklist. Among the organizations hit was state broadcaster Press TV, which was accused of of airing “forced confessions of detainees.”

Britain also said that Iranian Communications Minister Issa Zarepour and several local law enforcement and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials would face similar restrictions in the U.K. for their role in the protest crackdown.

“The EU strongly condemns the unacceptable violent crackdown of protesters,” EU chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

Last month, the EU hit Iran’s “morality” police, Revolutionary Guard, and IT minister in a first wave of sanctions over the crackdown.

Iranian women and some men have been protesting the government’s severe restrictions on their daily life since late September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.