Exclusive; European Union: Removal of Abarnet from Sanctions List Resulted from 'Confidential Consultations and Assessments'

A European Union official stated on Monday, April 8, that the removal of the company Abarnet from the sanctions list was based on 'confidential consultations and assessments' by the Council of Europe. The official, who requested anonymity, told VOA's Persian section that the EU sanctions regime against the Islamic Republic of Iran currently includes over 250 individuals and entities and is renewable every year. According to him, sanctions are renewed, amended, or removed based on 'available information, including observations provided by sanctioned individuals and entities, as well as relevant judicial procedures,' which 'strengthens the legal robustness of EU sanctions.' In response to a question from VOA's Persian section regarding the reasons and manner of Abarnet's removal from the EU sanctions list, the official stated: 'The Council of Europe decided not to renew the sanctions against Abarnet in its latest review.' He added that member states agreed that there were no longer grounds for keeping Abarnet on the sanctions list. The EU official noted that this decision was made 'based on confidential consultations and assessments in the relevant organs of the Council.' The official did not respond to two other questions from VOA's Persian section regarding reports of 'political pressure from Abarnet on some European governments' and the potential negative consequences of removing the company from the EU sanctions list, considering the EU's repeated calls to the Islamic Republic to respect the Iranian people's right to unrestricted access to free information. Concerns from Experts The removal of 'Abarnet' from the EU sanctions list has raised concerns among some experts and observers of Iranian affairs. Jason Brodsky, senior policy director of the United Against a Nuclear Iran, criticized the EU's decision to remove Abarnet from its sanctions list despite the continuation of US sanctions against the company, stating that this action undermines the 'sanctions infrastructure' of both the US and Europe. Brodsky stated in a written interview with VOA's Persian section that this sanctions infrastructure operates more effectively when there is coordination among these jurisdictions. He noted that the EU has not provided a reason for this decision. In this context, Saeed Ghasemi-Nejad, a senior researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, mentioned in a written correspondence with VOA's Persian section that 'media reports speak of Abarnet's complaint to the [European] Court and the political pressure from this company on European countries but do not provide further details.' Brodsky pointed out that the United States has sanctioned Abarnet due to its ties with 'some of the most repressive government entities' in Iran, particularly the Ministry of Intelligence, and the involvement of several of its managers in this ministry, stating: 'The EU has not addressed these concerns and should do so.' Ghasemi-Nejad also referred to the US Treasury's confirmation of 'Abarnet's role in internet censorship and its connection with the repressive institutions' of the Islamic Republic, suggesting that based on the Treasury's report, it can be speculated that Abarnet's removal from the EU sanctions list could facilitate the continuation of the company's previous activities emphasized by the Treasury. Brodsky mentioned evidence that some German companies, such as 'Softqloud GmbH,' are branches of Abarnet, raising questions about potential German involvement in this EU decision and the risks of allowing companies like Abarnet to use European territory to enable internet censorship in Iran. VOA's Persian section has contacted the Council of Europe via email regarding the reasons and manner of Abarnet's removal from the EU sanctions list, reports of political pressure from this company on some European countries, and the negative implications of removing the company from the sanctions list, and will publish the response as soon as it is received. Background The European Union, in its annual update of individuals and entities under sanctions, removed the name of the company 'Abarnet' (ArvanCloud) from the list of sanctioned entities. The text of the EU's decision published on Thursday, April 6, 2023, does not mention the reason for the removal of the Iranian company 'Abarnet' from this list. The EU had sanctioned this company on November 14, 2022, in response to the violent suppression of protesters against the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini and the role of 'Abarnet' in internet censorship and preventing Iranians from accessing free internet. About seven months after this action by the EU, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury announced on June 2, 2023, the sanctioning of the technology company Abarnet, two of its founders, and an affiliated company for their involvement in facilitating internet censorship in Iran. According to the US Treasury's statement, 'Abarnet' is a key partner of the Iranian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in developing the 'National Information Network,' or the national internet, which is used to cut off Iranians' access to the global internet. The Treasury's statement added that 'Abarnet' plays a significant role in developing the 'National Information Network' and its activities include participating in controlling and censoring data traffic and blocking certain websites at the request of the 'Working Group for Determining Criminal Content.' The US Treasury also noted that this company has close ties with the intelligence agencies of the Islamic Republic, including the Ministry of Intelligence, and its current officials are members of the current and former Ministry of Intelligence. The US special envoy for Iran at that time also considered the sanctioning of Abarnet as part of supporting the Iranian people's access to free and uncensored internet, reminding that this company has a close relationship with the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence and that its senior managers are affiliates of the current or former members of this ministry. In September of that year, Australia and Britain also sanctioned Abarnet. The British government, in its statement, referred to Abarnet as responsible for providing technology used in the repression of the Iranian people and added that Abarnet is one of the key partners of the Iranian Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and supports the development of the national internet to cut off the Iranian people's connection to the global internet. Western countries, led by the United States, especially after the violent suppression of protests against the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini and the severe restrictions imposed on Iranian citizens' access to free information and free internet, have repeatedly emphasized their firm support for this fundamental right of Iranian citizens and stated that individuals and entities violating it will be held accountable. Reports from German media have revealed the role of a German company in cutting off the internet in Iran; Abarnet is involved.