The European Union wants to impose punitive sanctions on Iran over the death of 22-year-old Masha Amini and the bloody crackdown on the protests that followed. As the AFP news agency reported on Wednesday and EU diplomats from the SZ confirmed that sanctions have been agreed in principle at diplomatic level. They are expected to meet at least 15 Iranian individuals and organizations linked to the young woman’s death. The sanctions are to be formally decided next Monday at the meeting of the 27 foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
“We must hold accountable those who are responsible for the oppression of women,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech to EU ambassadors on Wednesday. “The shocking violence against the Iranian people cannot go unanswered.” Von der Leyen’s authority is preparing the sanctions. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced punitive measures against Iran at the weekend. “We will ensure that the EU imposes entry bans on those responsible for this brutal repression and freezes their assets in the EU,” she said in an interview with the picture on sunday.
It is still unclear who exactly the punitive measures will be taken by the EU. The British government has already imposed sanctions on high-ranking politicians and security officials, as well as on Iran’s so-called morality police, who are said to be directly responsible for the young woman’s death in mid-September. Masha Amini was arrested for allegedly not wearing the hijab in public in accordance with the rules. Two hours later, she was taken to a hospital. Iranian police claim she suffered a heart attack and stroke, but there are allegations that she died as a result of beatings. Since then there have been protests across the country, which the security authorities have brutally put down. Human rights organizations speak of more than 200 dead. 30 police officers are said to have died.
The protests continued on Wednesday, especially in Kurdistan, the young woman’s homeland. In Tehran, female students took to the streets without headscarves and shouted “Death to the dictator,” according to video verified by AFP news agency. As the Iranian news agency ISNA reported, a large number of police officers were deployed in Tehran.