The Biden Administration has issued sanctions on Iranian officials following their cruel suppression of protests against the government, largely led by women over strict hijab enforcements.
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was allegedly beaten to death by the Iranian "morality police" for "incorrectly" wearing her hijab. The same day of her memorial, 40 days after her death per Islamic tradition, the U.S. levied the sanctions.
“It has been 40 days since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s so-called ‘Morality Police,’ and we join her family and the Iranian people for a day of mourning and reflection,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote in a statement. “The United States is committed to supporting the Iranian people and ensuring that those responsible for the brutal crackdown on the ongoing nationwide protests in Iran are held accountable.”
Six government officials were designated in the sanctions as "responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses," particularly for their role in prison abuse. All hold positions in Iran's prison system, which have been called "hotbeds of torture targeting political prisoners" by political activists.
Three military officials were also condemned for their violent response to peaceful protests. Per one incident in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Baluchistan, Iranian security forces open-fired on crowds, killing 80 people, children included. September 30 has since been named "Bloody Friday."
Blinken also announced sanctions on two companies involved in the “censorship, surveillance, and malicious cyber activity against the Iranian people.”
Sanctions limit an individual's ability to purchase "interests or properties" within the United States. They also ban travel into the country.
"The United States is committed to working to promote justice and accountability for human rights violations and abuses in Iran," Blinken continued. "We will continue to find ways to support the people of Iran as they peacefully protest in defense of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, and in doing so, will continue to impose costs on individuals and entities in Iran who engage in the brutal repression of the Iranian people."
