US Sanctions Senior Iranian Officials Over Protest Suppression And Censorship

The United States has imposed sanctions on a number of senior Iranian officials over their role in violently suppressing mass protests, serious human rights abuses and censorship.

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four senior officials of the Law Enforcement Forces of Iran (LEF) and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the primary Iranian security forces responsible for the regime’s brutal suppression of the protests that broke out in September 2022 following the death of Mahsa Jina Amini while in the custody of Iran’s Morality Police.

OFAC is also taking action against the new Secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace (SCC), the authority responsible for Iran’s cyberspace policy and blockage of popular websites.

“The Iranian people deserve freedom of expression without the threat of violent retaliation and censorship from those in power,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. “Along with our key allies and partners, such as the United Kingdom, the United States will continue to take action against those responsible for the regime’s violent repression and censorship,” he added.

Monday, the United Kingdom also imposed similar sanctions on senior Iranian security officials.

OFAC has imposed 11 rounds of sanctions actions targeting the Iranian regime and its security elements and officials that are involved in brutal crackdown on peaceful demonstrations since nationwide protests began in September.

Separately, the Department of State has imposed visa restrictions on 11 Iranian government officials, who are believed to be responsible for the detention or killing of peaceful protestors or inhibiting their rights to freedom of expression or peaceful assembly.

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