On Wednesday, the U.S., Canada, and Australia imposed sanctions on a group of Iranian officials. These officials were involved in suppressing protests and detaining individuals related to the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini was a young Iranian woman who died two years ago in the custody of Iran’s morality police for not wearing a mandatory headscarf properly.
She died in a hospital in September 2022 after being arrested for not following the authorities’ headscarf rules. Her death led to nationwide protests against Iran’s hijab laws and ruling government.
The sanctions target a dozen officials accused of killing and detaining protestors, suppressing demonstrations in 2019 and 2022, and apprehending journalists. Despite President Masoud Pezeshkian’s promise to stop the harassment by morality police, videos have shown women and girls being treated roughly by officers since Amini’s death.
In 2023, a teenage girl in Iran was injured and later died after an incident on the Tehran Metro when she was not wearing a headscarf. Additionally, police reportedly shot at a woman trying to flee a checkpoint to avoid having her car impounded for not wearing a hijab.
A U.S. Treasury official, Bradley T. Smith, commented that Iran’s leaders have resorted to violence and coercion when faced with peaceful calls for reform by the Iranian people.
In March, a United Nations investigation concluded that Iran was responsible for the violence that caused Amini’s death. It also revealed that Iranian security forces used unnecessary and excessive lethal force to suppress protests after Amini’s death and that detainees were sexually assaulted.
The sanctions imposed block access to U.S. properties and bank accounts and prohibit the targeted individuals and companies from conducting business with the U.S. While symbolic, as many of the individuals do not engage with the U.S., they demonstrate a commitment to holding accountable those responsible for Iran’s actions.
Furthermore, Canada announced sanctions against Hamas and extremist Israeli settlers who have committed violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
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