Tehran, Feb 22 (EFE).- Iran announced new sanctions against 36 people and entities from the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom in retaliation to the recent restrictive measures by Brussels.
The Islamic republic has sanctioned several military companies and politicians, including EU parliamentarians, from various European countries.
The Iranian foreign ministry said those sanctioned include French Equality Minister Isabelle Rome, EU parliamentarian from Belgium Frederique Riesm, German politician Renata Alt, and Commodore Adrian Fryer, in charge of the British fleet in the Middle East, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported last night.
The ministry said the sanctioned person would be barred from entering Iran, their properties would be confiscated, and assets and bank accounts would be frozen in Iran.
The foreign ministry said the retaliatory sanctions included those “supporting terrorism and terrorist groups,” interfering in Iranian domestic affairs, and stoking violence and unrest.
The EU on Monday froze assets and issued visa bans on Iran’s education and culture ministers in its fifth round of sanctions since nationwide protests began in Iran last year after the alleged custodial death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
Months of protests and street violence shook Iran after Amini’s death.
She was detained by the morality police on Sep.13 last year, allegedly for improperly donning her hijab.
The unrest soon evolved into demands calling for the end of the Islamic republic founded by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979.
The Iranian authorities responded with brutal police repression that claimed almost 500 lives.
Police arrested nearly 20,000 people for inciting and participating in demonstrations.
The protests died down significantly after the executions of four protesters.
The brutal police crackdown against protesters has provoked international condemnation and sanctions from Western countries. EFE
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