Foreign Secretary announces sanctions\u00a0in response to\u00a0those who have committed\u00a0human rights violations in Iran.\u00a0
\n Ten individuals\u00a0and one organisation\u00a0designated,\u00a0including Minister of the Interior, Police Chiefs and prolific IRGC members\u00a0for their role in recent brutality against protestors.\u00a0
\n Announcement\u00a0follows commitments\u00a0set out by Ministers earlier this month\u00a0to hold the Iranian authorities to account.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0UK has today announced\u00a0a sweeping package of\u00a0sanctions,\u00a0as part of\u00a0work\u00a0to hold\u00a0the Iranian authorities\u00a0accountable for\u00a0a number of\u00a0serious\u00a0human rights\u00a0violations.<\/p>\n
Ten individuals and one organisation\u00a0are\u00a0today\u00a0(2\u00a0February)\u00a0sanctioned\u00a0for their role in\u00a0enabling\u00a0and\u00a0facilitating\u00a0brutality and\u00a0violence\u00a0against the Iranian people, both in recent\u00a0peaceful\u00a0protests\u00a0and\u00a0previous\u00a0events.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0announcement follows commitments set out by\u00a0both the Prime Minister and the\u00a0Foreign Secretary\u00a0earlier this month,\u202fwhere\u00a0they\u00a0committed\u00a0to bring forward\u00a0sanctions\u00a0to hold the Iranian\u00a0authorities\u00a0to account\u00a0for its\u00a0violent\u00a0response to\u00a0recent\u00a0peaceful protests.<\/p>\n
Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Iranian people have\u00a0shown extreme courage in the face of brutality and repression over recent weeks\u00a0simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest.\u00a0The reports and shocking scenes\u00a0of violence\u00a0that\u00a0have been seen around the world are horrific.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
We committed to bringing\u00a0forward sanctions\u00a0and\u00a0warned the Iranian regime of\u00a0further measures.<\/p>\n
We were clear that we would\u00a0hold the\u00a0Iranian\u00a0authorities\u00a0to account\u00a0– and today\u2019s package does just that.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s package comes as the Foreign Secretary called on the international community to hold the Iranian authorities to account for recent violence and follows human rights sanctions imposed by the EU and the US over recent days.<\/p>\n
It also follows\u00a0the\u202fcommitment set out by the\u00a0G7\u00a0Foreign Ministers\u00a0and the EU High Representative\u00a0which\u00a0condemned Iran\u2019s\u00a0deliberate use of violence against protestors\u00a0and outlined that members would be\u00a0prepared to impose additional restrictive\u00a0action\u00a0if\u00a0it continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0following organisation is today sanctioned for its\u00a0prominent\u00a0role in policing\u00a0protests in Iran and\u00a0is subject to a director disqualification and asset freeze\u00a0immediately:\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA) \u00a0<\/p>\n
Alongside this, the following individuals are subject to an asset freeze,\u00a0travel ban, and director disqualification\u00a0immediately:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Eskandar Momeni\u00a0\u2013 Iranian\u00a0Minister of\u00a0the\u00a0Interior\u00a0who is\u00a0responsible for Iran\u2019s police force,\u00a0therefore he bears\u00a0responsibility for police violence against protestors.\u00a0\u00a0
\n Mohammad Reza\u202fHashemifar\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0Police Chief in Lorestan Province, a province where multiple protestors have been killed by the Police.
\n Seyed Majid Feiz\u202fJafari\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0police chief of Iran\u2019s Public Security Police\u00a0who\u00a0has directed violent crackdowns against\u202fpeaceful\u202fprotesters.\u00a0
\n Yadollah Bouali\u00a0– an Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)\u00a0commander of Fars Province\u00a0who\u00a0is responsible for\u202fthe lethal violence used by the Fajr Corp against protesters.\u202f\u202f\u00a0
\n Babak Zanjani\u00a0– an Iranian\u202fbusinessman\u202fwho runs a network of companies\u00a0which\u00a0generates\u00a0funds\u00a0and enables the criminal\u00a0activities\u00a0of\u00a0the IRGC, including its\u00a0suppression of protesters.\u202f\u202f\u00a0
\n Colonel Ahmed Amini\u00a0\u2013 a\u00a0Police Chief\u00a0who\u00a0has presided over human rights abuses in Noor province\u00a0in 2024.\u202f\u202f\u00a0
\n Mohammad Ghanbari\u00a0– Commander of Iran\u2019s Criminal Investigation Police\u00a0who\u00a0has presided over human rights abuses in Iran, including the arbitrary detention and torture of protestors in 2022 and 2023.\u202f\u202f\u00a0
\n Ahmad Darvish\u202fGoftar\u00a0\u2013 a\u00a0Judge in the\u202fRevolutionary Court of Rasht\u00a0who\u00a0is responsible for\u202fhuman rights violations in Iran,\u202fincluding\u202fsentencing a labour rights activist to death in 2024.\u202f\u00a0
\n Mehdi\u202fRasakhi\u00a0\u2013 a\u00a0Judge in the Revolutionary Court of Rasht\u00a0who\u202fis responsible for\u202fhuman rights violations in Iran,\u202fincluding imposing excessive sentences on women\u2019s rights and labour activists.\u202f\u00a0
\n Mohammad Zamani\u00a0-\u202f\u00a0an Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) officer,\u00a0responsible for\u00a0a number of\u202fhuman rights violations in Iran.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The UK has\u00a0long criticised Iran\u2019s\u202funacceptable human rights record\u00a0and\u00a0continues to call for the Iranian authorities to be held accountable for their role in the recent\u00a0violence and\u00a0brutality against protestors.<\/p>\n
Alongside partners, the UK recently led\u00a0the\u00a0international\u00a0response to\u00a0the brutal crackdown of the protests\u00a0by pushing forward a Special Session of the\u00a0UN\u00a0Human Rights Council\u202fon\u00a023 January,\u00a0and\u00a0also summoned the Iranian Ambassador on the 13 January in response to recent events.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We continue to take strong action and hold the Iranian regime to account. The UK already has\u00a0imposed\u00a0more than 550 sanctions on Iranian\u00a0individuals and\u00a0organisations\u00a0who enable such behaviour. This\u00a0includes\u00a0the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in its entirety\u00a0and\u00a0over 90\u00a0sanctions\u00a0in place\u00a0for Human Rights violations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On background:<\/p>\n
Foreign Secretary statement on Iran\u00a0can be found here<\/a>.
\n The G7 Foreign Ministers statement on protest in Iran can be found here<\/a>.
\n A full list of today\u2019s sanctions designations and further information can be found here: The UK Sanctions List – GOV.UK<\/a><\/p>\n