Blinken conveys his commitment to the people of Iran
Oct. 26 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United States authorities announced this Wednesday the imposition of sanctions against a dozen senior Iranian officials and various entities in response to the “brutal repression” exerted against demonstrators who have been protesting for more than a month and which have resulted in hundreds of dead.
The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has indicated in a statement that it has imposed sanctions against ten other senior officials, including commanders of the Revolutionary Guard, governors and officials
of prisons, among others.
In addition, it has included two “Iranian Intelligence actors and two entities related to measures to undermine digital freedom.” “Today’s actions come 40 days after 22-year-old Masha Amini died in police custody after being arrested for breaking the Islamic dress code.
These sanctions come after the US government announced last week another package of restrictions aimed at several Iranian organizations and senior officials linked to the “violation of the fundamental rights of Iranian citizens”.
“These measures (…) show the commitment of the United States when it comes to supporting the Iranian people and their attempts to achieve justice, as well as their right to freely exchange information, including through the Internet,” the text collects.
In this sense, the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Brian E. Nelson, has clarified that the Iranians “continue to protest bravely against the brutal repression and the lack of access to the Internet” and has stressed the importance of “getting justice done” .
The list now includes Revolutionary Guard commanders Mohamad Kazemi and Abbas Nilforushán, Sistan and Balochistan governor Hosein Modarres Jiabani, Ahmad Shafa, commander of the Salman Revolutionary Guard unit, as well as Hedayat Farzadi, head of Evin prison, among others.
BLINKEN TRANSFERS ITS COMMITMENT TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE
For his part, the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, recalled Amini’s death and conveyed his best wishes to his relatives, while emphasizing the United States’ commitment to the Iranian people.
“We have announced a joint action between the Departments of State and the Treasury to impose sanctions against individuals and entities, which shows the commitment to use all available tools to achieve justice,” he asserted.
In this sense, he has affirmed that senior officials who “hold high-ranking positions within the Iranian prison system” have been sanctioned and has indicated that the two sanctioned entities have been involved in acts of “censorship, surveillance and malicious cyber activity against the village”.
These are the Ravin Academy, an institute specialized in cybersecurity accused of “training hackers” in charge of “bringing down the communication networks of those who protest against the regime”, and the company Samane GostarSahab Pardaz, which Blinken has accused of ” work for the Iranian government in surveillance work” and “limit access to social networks”.
“The United States is committed to working to advance justice and address human rights violations and abuses in Iran. We will continue to find ways to support the Iranian people as they peacefully protest to defend their fundamental rights and freedoms,” he said. stressed before emphasizing that “they will continue to impose measures on individuals and entities in Iran that are involved in acts of repression”.
