Tehran, Iran – Iran announced on Wednesday sanctions targeting individuals and media outlets in the European Union in retaliation for the bloc’s punitive measures on police over a crackdown on Mahsa Amini protests.
Street violence has rocked Iran since Amini’s death on September 16, three days after she was arrested by the morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women.
Dozens of people, mainly protesters but also members of the security forces, have been killed during the unrest. Hundreds more, including women, have been arrested.
The European Union on October 17 imposed sanctions against the morality police and 11 officials including Iran’s telecommunications minister, accusing them of involvement in repressing the protests.
In response, Iran’s foreign ministry announced in a statement sanctions against eight institutions and 12 individuals based in the EU for “supporting terrorist groups”, “inciting violence” and “provoking riots, violence and terrorist acts” in the Islamic republic.
The Iranian blacklist includes the International Committee in Search of Justice, the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism, and the Persian versions of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle and Radio France Internationale.
European and French politicians, and two individuals at the German tabloid newspaper Bild are among the individuals sanctioned by the Iranian government.
The Iranian sanctions include a visa ban and the “seizure of their property and assets in the territory under Iran’s jurisdiction”, the ministry statement said.
On October 19, Iran announced it had blacklisted British entities and individuals, days after London imposed sanctions on Iran’s morality police over Amini’s death.