Shafaq News- Brussels

The European Union imposed new sanctions on 16 individuals and three entities in Iran over what it described as serious human rights violations linked to the suppression of protests earlier this year, the EU Council announced on Monday.

The sanctions target Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister for Security and Law Enforcement Affairs, Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, several IRGC commanders involved in suppressing protests, the Naji Research and Development Company (NRDC) for developing a surveillance application used by authorities, and the head of Tehran’s Cyber Police over alleged internet censorship and online prosecutions.

The Council accused some listed officials of extracting forced confessions, violating fair trial standards, and issuing harsh sentences against activists. The sanctions also targeted the head of Iran’s Organization for Prisons and Security and Educational Measures, citing reports of abuses in Iranian detention facilities, including torture, degrading treatment, arbitrary detention, and alleged cases of violence against political detainees and minority groups.

According to the Council, individuals and entities added to the sanctions list face asset freezes and travel bans, while EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing them with financial resources. The bloc also maintains restrictions on exporting equipment to Iran that could be used for internal repression or telecommunications surveillance. With the new designations, EU sanctions related to human rights abuses in Iran now apply to 263 individuals and 53 entities.

Last week, the EU announced sanctions targeting 19 Iranian officials and entities over alleged human rights violations tied to the protest suppression.

The European Union introduced the sanctions regime in 2011 in response to human rights concerns in Iran and has renewed it annually, most recently extending it until April 13, 2026. In recent years, the bloc has expanded the measures following mounting criticism of Iran’s handling of protests.