EU imposes sanctions for CWC attacks and Iran human rights abuses
On 14 November, the European Union announced that it had imposed sanctions against ten individuals and one entity ‘linked to the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a Novichok-type nerve agent on 20 August 2020, and [to] the productions of chemical weapons delivery systems in Syria.’
Speaking of the Navalny case, it said, ‘The new listings include operatives and high-ranking officials of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), and Russian chemical weapons experts, while as regards Syria, the EU is sanctioning MHD Nazier Houranieh & Sons, which supplies the Syrian Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) with materials used to produce chemical weapons delivery systems, and its co-owners.’
On the same day, but in a separate action, the EU announced that it had added ‘to the list of those subject to restrictive measures in the context of the existing Iran human rights sanctions regime,’ in view ‘of their role in the death of Mahsa Amini and the violent response to the recent demonstrations in Iran.’
The designations, it said, include ‘four members of the squad that arbitrarily arrested Mahsa Amini, provincial heads of the Iranian Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) and of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), as well as Brigadier General Kiyumars Heidari, the Commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, for their role in the brutal repression of the recent protests.’
‘Moreover,’ it said, ‘the EU lists Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, the head of the Iranian Cyber Police for his responsibility in arbitrarily arresting people for expressing online criticism of the Iranian regime. Lastly the EU also designated Iran’s Minister of Interior, Ahmad Vahidi, who is also in charge of the LEF, which have committed serious human rights violations.’
It has also designated Iranian state television broadcaster Press TV ‘responsible for producing and broadcasting the forced confessions of detainees.’
