The UK is placing further sanctions on regime officials in Iran
today, including on Deputy Prosecutor General Ahmad Fazelian.
These sanctions, alongside designations by the European Union and
the United States, demonstrate the international community’s
unified condemnation of the horrific violence the Iranian regime
is inflicting on its own people, including the execution of dual
British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari.
Alongside the Prosecutor General in Iran, whom the UK sanctioned
last week, Fazelian is responsible for a judicial system
characterised by unfair trials and egregious punishments,
including use of the death penalty for political purposes. Last
week Alireza Akbari tragically became a victim of this brutal
system.
The list of sanctions imposed today also includes:
· Kiyumars
Heidari, Commander in Chief of the Islamic Republic of
Iran’s Ground Forces – Heidari has publicly admitted to his and
his force’s involvement in the violent response to the November
2019 protests that led to the death of at least hundreds of
protesters, and he continues to order the repression of protests
today.
· Hossein
Nejat, Deputy Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC) of Sarallah HQ – Sarallah is the division of
the IRGC responsible for the security of Tehran, where we have
seen some of the most brutal violence against the Iranian people.
· The Basij
Resistance Force – The Basij force within the IRGC are
mobilized by the regime leadership to enforce the brutal
repression on the streets of Iran.
· Salar
Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij - Abnoush
has publicly described his command-and-control role over Basij
forces and continues to lead their repressive tactics today.
Foreign Secretary said:
“Those sanctioned today, from the judicial figures using the
death penalty for political ends to the thugs beating protestors
on the streets, are at the heart of the regime’s brutal
repression of the Iranian people.
“The UK and our partners have sent a clear message through
these sanctions that there will be no hiding place for those
guilty of the worst human rights violations.”
The UK has now imposed 50 new sanctions in response to human
rights violations by the Iranian regime since Mahsa Amini’s death
and will continue to take a wide range of actions to hold the
regime to account.
These sanctions impose an asset freeze and UK travel ban on the
individuals sanctioned and send a wider signal on the UK’s
commitment to backing condemnation with action.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The full list of those sanctioned today is:
- Entities:
o Basij Resistance Force
o The Basij Co-operative Foundation
- Individuals:
o Ahmad Fazelian, Deputy Prosecutor General
o Kiyumars Heidari, Commander in Chief of the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s Ground Forces
o Salar Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij
o Qasem Rezaei, Deputy Commander of the Law
Enforcement Force (LEF)
o Hossein Nejat, Deputy Commander of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Sarallah HQ
