Brussels, 20 February 2023
Recalling the December 2022 Council conclusions, the European Union strongly rejects Iran’s practice of arbitrary detention targeting EU and dual EU-Iranian nationals, and calls upon Iran to end the distressing practice of detaining foreign civilians with a view to making political gains.
The increasing number of EU citizens currently detained by Iran on spurious grounds is of great concern. Many of them are held in degrading conditions with no chance of a fair trial.
The European Union calls on Iran to strictly abide by its international obligations, in particular under the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Iran is a party. It stresses that the policy currently pursued by Iran, including the restrictions imposed on consular access to EU nationals, the denial of consular protection and the right to a fair trial, stands in direct violation of international law.
The European Union expects the Iranian authorities to facilitate the exercise of consular functions by the EU Member States concerned by allowing them to communicate and have regular access to their nationals, as required by international law, including the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to which Iran is a party.
Due to the acute risk to their personal security, EU member states recommend to their nationals, in line with their respective national risk assessments, to avoid travelling to Iran.
The European Union and its Member States will continue to closely monitor the situation and will act as appropriate.
Source – EU Council
Iran: EU imposes further restrictive measures against 32 individuals and two entities responsible for human rights violations
Brussels, 20 February 2023
The Council today decided to impose restrictive measures on additional 32 individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.
Among the persons listed are the Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Minister of Education, the deputy commander and spokesperson of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the co-founders of EU-listed Ravin Academy, members of the Iranian parliament supporting the violent crackdown, members of the police, judiciary in various parts of the country, and prison wardens and directors.
Today’s designations also target the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) Cooperation Foundation and the Police Science and Social Studies Institute.
Restrictive measures now apply to a total of 196 individuals and 33 entities. They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment which might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications is also in place.
The European Union and its member states urge the Iranian authorities to stop the violent crackdown against peaceful protests, cease their resort to arbitrary detentions as a means of silencing critical voices and release all those unjustly detained.
The Union calls on Iran to end the practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters, reverse the death penalty sentences pronounced, as well as provide due process to all detainees.
These listings follow the Council’s decisions of 17 October, 14 November, 12 December and 23 January.
The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU.
- Official Journal of the EU (including the names of the listed persons and entities)
- Iran: EU adopts further restrictive measures against human rights violations (press release, 23 January 2023)
- Iran: Council approves conclusions (press release, 12 December 2022)
Source – EU Council