US, Canada Sanction Iranian Officials for Human Rights Abuses

The U.S. and Canada this week sanctioned various Iranian government officials responsible for violence against the Iranian people, targeting members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, officials with Iran’s Prisons Organization, and others responsible for suppressing protesters within the country or Iranians overseas.

The U.S. designations target IRGC officials Hamid Khorramdel, Mustafa Bazvand, Ali Malek-Shahkoui and Saeed Beheshti-Rad and Iranian prison officials Ali Abdi, Alireza Babaei Farsani, Ahmad Reza Azadeh and Gholamreza Roshan. OFAC said these individuals have arrested, imprisoned or committed violence against peaceful protesters and against Iranians for “political expression.”

The Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned Yahya Hosseini Panjaki, Javad Ghaffarhaddadi, Hamid Zareikajosangi and Mahmud Baghlani for helping the government assassinate dissidents abroad, recruit IRGC officials or for other ties to the IRGC.

Canada sanctioned Mohammad Mokhber, Gholam Hossein Esmaili, Seyyed Masoud Mirkazemi, Siamak Rahpeik and Ahmad-Reza Radan for being “responsible for the design and implementation of repressive policies, including the violent repression of protesters.”

Both countries said the designations, coordinated with Australia (see 2409160004), mark the second anniversary of the arrest and subsequent death of Mahsa Jina Amini, who was accused of not correctly wearing a hijab.