Britain Sanctions 13 Individuals and Entities Linked to the Islamic Republic

On Thursday, July 6, Britain sanctioned 13 individuals and entities associated with the Islamic Republic due to human rights violations against Iranians, including the right to freedom of expression and assembly. The new sanctions include travel bans to the UK, freezing the assets of those sanctioned, and prohibiting British trade with them. James Cleverly, the UK Foreign Secretary, referred to the repression of the Iranian people by the Islamic Republic, its involvement in bloodshed in Ukraine and the Middle East, and its threats to kill and kidnap individuals on British soil, stating: 'Today, Britain sent a clear message to the regime: we will not tolerate this malicious behavior, and we will hold you accountable.' According to him, the new sanctions help ensure that there is no refuge for those seeking to harm Britons. The statement from the UK Foreign Office lists the sanctioned individuals and entities along with their titles and some of the accusations against them: Morad Fathi: Director General of Prisons in Kurdistan Province, Mohammad Hossein Khosravi: Director General of Prisons in Sistan and Baluchestan Province and former head of Zahedan Prison, Heydar Pasandideh: Head of Sanandaj Central Prison, Mortaza Piri: Head of Zahedan Prison, Abdolhossein Khosrowpanah: Secretary of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, Soghra Khodadadi Taqanaki: Head of Qarchak Women's Prison, Seyed Mohammad Amin Aghamiri: Secretary of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace in Iran, Moslem Moein: Head of the Basij Cyber Headquarters. The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution: This body is responsible for the overall policies of the Islamic Republic regarding cultural issues, including women's dress code. This body is also responsible for creating the morality police, which implements the policies and programs determined by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. The Supreme Council of Cyberspace: This council is the highest policymaking body of the Islamic Republic in the field of the internet. The council, which is under the control of security organizations and without public oversight, is responsible for internet filtering in Iran and determines which websites should be blocked. The Cyber Defense Command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: This body has responsibilities such as monitoring and pursuing cyber crimes and 'tracking insults or defamation against revolutionary values.' The Organized Crime Investigation Center: This body is involved in cyber operations against political opponents of the Islamic Republic inside Iran, leading to the detention of dozens of cyber activists and website managers. This body has about 45,000 employees, whose main goal is to monitor and investigate information about opponents of the Islamic Republic. The Ravin Academy: It trains and identifies personnel for the Ministry of Intelligence and assists in the cyber operations of this ministry. Following the crackdown on protesters in Iran after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in the custody of the morality police, Britain, in coordination with the United States and the European Union, has imposed several sanction packages against those responsible for human rights violations in Iran. James Cleverly, the UK Foreign Secretary, told Parliament on Thursday that London is considering new legal powers to sanction Iran after at least 15 instances of 'credible threats' from the Islamic Republic to kill or kidnap individuals in Britain. However, Britain rejected requests to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. According to The Guardian, Britain has decided to expand the criteria for imposing sanctions, and with this decision, companies and supporters of the IRGC may be sanctioned. Under this new sanctions regime, Britain can now sanction individuals for actions they take within the UK, not just within Iran. James Cleverly stated in Parliament: 'What we have seen in the last 18 months is an unprecedented level of Iran's aggression against people here in Britain to try to silence dissenting voices. Now, the Home Office and the security service are responsible for protecting people here in Britain.' He said that Britain is taking actions to support the people of Britain and prevent 'Iran's behavior against people' in Britain. He stated that the aim of the additional sanctions is to serve as a deterrent against these actions of the Islamic Republic. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Basij Resistance Force, and the 'morality police' and Gholamreza Soleimani, the commander of the Basij, have previously been sanctioned. However, banning these organizations by Britain would consider membership in them, financial support, or expressing support for them as a criminal offense, and since the IRGC plays a central role in the military structure of the Islamic Republic, effectively recognizing the IRGC as a terrorist organization would label the entire Islamic Republic as a terrorist entity. According to The Guardian, the UK Foreign Office was also concerned that such a label would likely lead to the expulsion of the British ambassador from Tehran. The UK Foreign Office also knew that the European Union was unlikely to take a similar step. On Thursday, James Cleverly responded to a Sky News question about how concerned he was about the killing of Iranian opponents in Britain, saying: 'We value freedom of expression in Britain, we value press freedom, and we want to defend these. We will always remain vigilant.' Mr. Cleverly also stated in the announcement of the new UK action to expand the criteria for imposing sanctions: 'The Iranian regime represses its own people, exports bloodshed to Ukraine and the Middle East, and threatens to kill and kidnap on British soil.' According to The Standard, he said that today's actions by Britain send a clear message to the 'regime' of the Islamic Republic that such behaviors will not be tolerated. The new framework for sanctions aims to punish those who use or proliferate Iranian weapons or military technologies, or undermine democracy and respect for the rule of law in the Middle East and internationally in line with the Islamic Republic's efforts. The UK Foreign Secretary stated: 'Our new sanctions help ensure that there will be no refuge for those seeking to harm us.' Regarding threats to people within Britain, Sky News reports that Iranian intelligence organizations have established close ties with organized crime gangs in Britain and across Europe to expand their networks. Europe has sanctioned seven officials of the Islamic Republic for serious human rights violations. Several resolutions are being reviewed in the US Congress regarding 'human rights violations' in Iran. Canada has sanctioned seven judges of the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Iran for human rights violations. New US sanctions against oil tankers linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The US has sanctioned several individuals and entities related to the Islamic Republic's ballistic missile program.