UK imposes further sanctions against Iranian officials

By Aysu Bicer

ANKARA (AA) - The UK on Monday announced further sanctions against Iranian officials in response to the country's violent crackdown on protesters, a government statement said.

"The UK will designate Communications Minister Issa Zarepour and a range of local law enforcement and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials who have been involved in and ordered the crackdown on protests," the statement said.

Iran has been rocked by deadly protests since mid-September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the country's morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly underlined that the sanctions will target officials within the Iranian regime "who are responsible for heinous human rights violations."

"Together with our partners, we have sent a clear message to the Iranian regime – the violent crackdown on protests must stop and freedom of expression must be respected," Cleverly said.

Previously, the Foreign Office sanctioned the entire morality police force along with other key public figures, preventing them from coming to the UK as well as freezing any assets held in the country.

Meanwhile, the EU will also introduce a new sanctions package that will also include 30 Iranian individuals.

Speaking to the media ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that among the individuals are members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"Today Iran is going to a dictatorship, military dictatorship. 80 million people live in Iran and I think 90 percent of the people live in a very bad situation," he said.