An Iranian-made drone flies over Kyiv, Ukraine during a Russian attack, October 17, 2022 (Sergei Supinsky/AFP)
The European Union has approved more sanctions on Iran over human rights, amid the regime’s crackdown on nationwide protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
The bloc announced the asset freezes and travel bans on 11 individuals and four institutions involved in the repression. Those sanctioned including the chief of the “morality police” who seized and reportedly beat Amini on September 13.
Today, the EU adopts restrictive measures against 11 individuals & 4 entities linked to the death of #MahsaAmini and to the violent repression of the peaceful protests pic.twitter.com/Q1v59IL4Ws
— European External Action Service – EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) October 17, 2022
EA on Times Radio: Week in Review from UK to China to Iran
UPDATES: Iran’s Hijab-Amini Protests Persist Despite Regime Crackdown
“Helping Russia to Terrorize Civilians”
Meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, several EU foreign ministers called for further sanctions over Iran’s supply of “kamikaze drones” to Russia for use on civilian targets and infrastructure in Ukraine.
The Shahed-136 drones have been central in Russia’s escalation of strikes this month, killing scores of civilians and damaging facilities for electricity, heating, and water.
See also Ukraine War, Day 237: Zelenskiy — “The World Can and Must Stop This Terror”
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said, “Iranian drones are used apparently to attack in the middle of Kyiv, this is an atrocity.”
Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said he considered sanctions “should be worked out immediately” to show Iran’s supply for deadly Russia attacks “has consequences”.
EU foreign policy head Josep Borrell said after the foreign ministers’ meeting, “We are following very closely the use of drones. We are gathering evidence and we will be ready to react with the tools at our disposal.”
The German Ambassador to the UK added on Tuesday morning:
Iran 🇮🇷 should be punished with further sanctions for helping Russia to terrorise civilians in #Ukraine with their kamikaze drones. Worrying reports that Iran might also sell missiles to Russia.
Foreign Minister @ABaerbock underlines the need to act once we have all evidence. https://t.co/FfBhyR1idF
— Miguel Berger (@GermanAmbUK) October 18, 2022
The US added its own warning through State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel:
Anyone doing business with Iran that could have any link to UAVs or ballistic missile developments or the flow of arms from Iran to Russia should be very careful and do their due diligence – the US will not hesitate to use sanctions or take actions against perpetrators.
Russia deepening an alliance with Iran is something the whole world – especially those in the region and across the world, frankly – should be seeing as a profound threat.
Iran dismisses accusations it provided Russia with weapons: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/10/18/691184/Iran-Russia-Ukraine
It comes as Reuters claims to have spoken to Iranian officials and diplomats who have confirmed the shipment of both drones and missiles: https://www.reuters.com/world/exclusive-iran-agrees-ship-missiles-more-drones-russia-defying-west-sources-2022-10-18/
Words coming out that the state run conglomerate of haft tapeh factory (the massive sugar factory) joins the strikes in protests of crack downs.
Iranian Schoolgirl Dies After Reportedly Being Beaten For Refusing Song Praising Ayatollah
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-schoolgirl-killed-refusing-song-ayatollah/32090116.html
Iranian schoolgirl ‘beaten to death for refusing to sing’ pro-regime anthem
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/oct/18/iranian-schoolgirl-beaten-to-death-for-refusing-to-sing-pro-regime-anthem
Her uncle has denied this. Also the Telegram message does not claim she was beaten to death, just that she was referred to hospital.
The battle of narratives on Iran is being fought on social media: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/05/middleeast/social-media-disinformation-mime-intl/index.html
“Of the 108,000 accounts in a sample using #OpIran, another hashtag associated with the protests, he found that around 13,000 were created in September,
while the average number of accounts created per month in the sample was only 500. Most of the September accounts were created in around 10 days
following Amini’s death, he said. It’s quite rare to see this amount of new online mobilization of accounts that then subsequent and continuously engage in
tweet activity,” he said, adding that while this indicates manipulation, it isn’t conclusive evidence of it.”