The US imposes sanctions against the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Communications for the protests in Iran

Oct. 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States Department of the Treasury announced this Thursday new sanctions against Iran, which include the Minister of the Interior, Ahmed Vahidi, and the Minister of Communications, Eisa Zarepour, in retaliation for the protests that the country is experiencing after the death of the young woman. Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Amini.

“The United States condemns the Iranian government’s continued violent crackdown on protests following the tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the so-called Morality Police,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. .

Blinken explained in a statement that the sanctions against Tehran, which has embarked on a “strong” path against “the right to freedom of expression and assembly”, even cutting off the internet, “show that the United States supports citizens and the women of Iran who are demonstrating right now to secure their basic rights.

For his part, Undersecretary of the Treasury, Brian Nelson, explained that these rights “are vital to guarantee individual freedom and dignity”, for which Washington “condemns the closure of the Internet”, as well as the “continued violent repression of peaceful protests.

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi maintains oversight of the security forces deployed to quell the protests, which “have used deadly force against protesters on multiple occasions,” according to a Treasury statement.

“The actions have resulted in thousands of deaths, including dozens of injuries, in recent demonstrations against the Morality Police. In the past, Vahidi has warned Iranian women that government security forces will penalize those who ‘breach the rules’ in reference to the observance of the hijab,” he said.

For this reason, Washington imposes sanctions against Vadihi for “being responsible or complicit in ordering, controlling or directing” “serious abuses” against Human Rights since 2009. On the other hand, he also recalled that he supervised the bombing of the Mutual Association building Israelita Argentina in which 85 people died.

For her part, Communications Minister Eisa Zarepur is “responsible for the Iranian government’s shameful attempt to block Internet access for millions of Iranians in the hope of curbing the protests.”

Due to this, Zarepur has been sanctioned by the United States for “having participated in censorship or other activities” from 2009, resulting in the “prohibition, limitation or sanction of the freedom of expression or assembly of the citizens of Iran” .

This also includes print media, as well as “manipulating or supporting” entities owned or controlled by Iranian authorities to “block or restrict” international signals.

The sanctions also target senior officials in the Iranian security forces, including Hossein Sajedinia, deputy commander of operations; Yadolá Javani, deputy political commander of the Revolutionary Guards; Hosein Nejat, Commander of the Revolutionary Guards and Hosein Rahimi, Iran’s Police Chief in Tehran.