EU sanctions Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders, other officials, over Iran’s human rights abuses

European Union foreign ministers decided on January 29 to impose restrictive measures on an additional 15 persons, including a number of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders, and six entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran, a statement by the Council of the EU said.

The imposition of the sanctions follows the violent repression of peaceful protests, including the use of violence, arbitrary detention, and intimidation tactics by security forces against demonstrators in Iran, the statement said..

The EU is in particular imposing restrictive measures on Eskandar Momeni, Iran’s Minister of the Interior and Head of the National Security Council, and members of Iran’s judicial system including Mohammad Movahedi-Azad, the Prosecutor General, and Iman Afshari, a presiding judge.

In addition, the January 29 listings cover a number of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders and high ranking officers of the police and the Law Enforcement Force (LEF). They were all involved in the violent repression of peaceful protests and the arbitrary arrest of political activists and human rights defenders.

The entities listed today include among others the Iranian Audio-Visual Media Regulatory Authority (SATRA), Seraj Cyberspace Organization, the Working Group for Determining Instances of Criminal Content (WGDICC) and several software companies.

These entities were involved in censoring activities, trolling campaigns on social media, spreading disinformation and misinformation online, or contributed to the widespread disruption of access to the internet by developing surveillance and repression tools, the statement by the Council of the EU said.

Restrictive measures related to human rights violations in Iran now apply to a total of 247 individuals and 50 entities in Iran.

They consist of an asset freeze, travel bans to the EU, and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment that might be used for internal repression, including equipment for monitoring telecommunications, is also in place.

“The EU expresses its solidarity with the Iranian people as they voice their legitimate aspiration for freedom and dignity, and for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, protected and fulfilled,” the statement said.

The statement said that Iran’s military supports to Russia’s war of aggression continues to pose a direct threat to EU security.

“Today, the Council also imposed restrictive measures on four persons and six entities under the EU dedicated sanctions regime, with a specific focus on the Iranian state-sponsored programme for the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).”

The January 29 listings include Khojir Missile Development and Production, a leading entity in Iran’s ballistic missile programme, and Sahara Thunder, an Iranian import-export trading company which acts as a front company for the Iranian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics.

The Council is also sanctioning other private companies supplying critical components to the IRGC or having links to entities involved in Iran’s missile programme.

The individuals listed today include businessmen, CEOs and shareholders of private companies who are involved in the development and production of Iran’s ballistic missiles and are therefore engaged in Iran’s missile or UAV programme.

Today’s decision brings the total number of those sanctioned under this regime to 24 individuals and 26 entities. The sanctions regime was last extended until 27 July 2026.

Finally, the Council decided to extend the prohibition on the export, sale, transfer or supply from the EU to Iran to include further components and technologies used in the development and production of UAVs and missiles.

This applies to special materials and related equipment, including energetic materials and mixtures thereof, materials processing, electronics, computers, telecommunications and information security, sensors and lasers, navigation and avionics, aerospace and propulsion as well as technology, designed or specifically adapted for the test, development or production of drones and missiles.

Speaking ahead of the meeting of EU foreign ministers, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “If you act as a terrorist, you should also be treated as a terrorist”.

“It is clear what we see: the death toll in the protests that were in Iran and the means that were taken by the regime are really severe. That is why we are also sending a clear message that if you are suppressing people, it has a price, and you will be also sanctioned for this,” Kallas said.

(Photo: European Parliament)