European Union imposes sanctions on five Iranian judges and a cyber pirate for human rights violations

The European Council announced on Friday the imposition of sanctions on six individuals, including judges in Iran, on account of allegations of “serious human rights violations.”

In a statement, the Council clarified that the sanctions targeted five judges in Iran’s Revolutionary Courts, following trials that targeted religious minorities and political opponents, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, as well as Iranian cyberpirate and engineer Nima Salahi, founder and one of the most prominent members of the cyber group “Ashiyane.”

It added that “the judges issued death sentences and long prison terms, as well as corporal punishment and fines, against opponents and human rights activists, including in connection with the (Woman, Life, Freedom) protests in 2022.”

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The Council further explained that the sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans to the European Union, and prohibitions on making funds or economic resources available to those targeted, noting that the number of individuals and entities subject to EU sanctions related to human rights violations in Iran has risen to 269 persons and 53 entities.