The United Kingdom announced sanctions against several Iranian officials, including the culture minister and the mayor of Tehran, on Friday, on the eve of the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
The sanctions, agreed in coordination with the United States, Canada and Australia, “focus on senior Iranian officials responsible for the preparation and implementation of Iran’s law on mandatory use of the hijab,” the State Department said in a statement.
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The sanctions, agreed in coordination with the United States, Canada and Australia, “focus on senior Iranian officials responsible for the preparation and implementation of Iran’s law on mandatory use of the hijab,” the State Department said in a statement.
These measures are aimed in particular at the Minister of Culture Mohamad Mehdi Esmaili, his deputy Mohamad Hashemi, the Mayor of Tehran Alireza Zakani and the police spokesman Saed Montazer Al Mahdi.
On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurdish woman, died after being arrested by moral police for improperly wearing the Islamic veil.
Her death sparked months of protests that were crushed with blood and arrests, but the uprising dubbed “Women, Life, Freedom” has continued in various forms and is one of the biggest challenges facing Iranian authorities since the 1979 revolution.
“One year after the tragic death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of moral police, I salute the courage of Iranian women who continue to fight for fundamental freedoms,” British diplomatic chief James Cleverly said in the statement.
“Today’s sanctions against those responsible for Iran’s oppressive laws send a clear signal that the UK and its partners will continue to support Iranian women and denounce the oppression Iran inflicts on its own people,” he added.
