European Union Imposes Sanctions on Iranian Figures Accused of Targeting Opponents
July 15, 202544 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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The European Council said today, Tuesday, that the European Union has imposed sanctions on eight individuals and one entity on the grounds of responsibility for targeting Iranian opponents through assassination operations on behalf of the Iranian government.
The Council added that the sanctions included asset freezes and travel bans, noting that they were imposed in response to what it described as "serious human rights violations" and "transnational repression".
The Council also listed the "Zandseti" network, which it described as a criminal group linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security that has committed many acts of transnational repression, including the assassination of Iranian opponents.
The sanctions also included Najib Ibrahim Sharifi Zandseti, the head of the "Zandseti" network, whom the Council said is an Iranian drug dealer and leader of an organized crime gang, along with some of his associates. The United States had also imposed sanctions on Zandseti and his network.
The Council's sanctions also targeted Mohammad Ansari, the commander of Unit 840 in the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whom it accused of assassinating journalists critical of the Islamic Republic.
The Council said that these sanctions underscore the European Union's concerns about the transnational repression carried out by Iranian state entities through the use of proxies, especially criminals and organized crime networks that target opponents and human rights defenders in various regions around the world, including European Union territories.
The Council added that the sanctions included asset freezes and travel bans, noting that they were imposed in response to what it described as "serious human rights violations" and "transnational repression".
The Council also listed the "Zandseti" network, which it described as a criminal group linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security that has committed many acts of transnational repression, including the assassination of Iranian opponents.
The sanctions also included Najib Ibrahim Sharifi Zandseti, the head of the "Zandseti" network, whom the Council said is an Iranian drug dealer and leader of an organized crime gang, along with some of his associates. The United States had also imposed sanctions on Zandseti and his network.
The Council's sanctions also targeted Mohammad Ansari, the commander of Unit 840 in the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whom it accused of assassinating journalists critical of the Islamic Republic.
The Council said that these sanctions underscore the European Union's concerns about the transnational repression carried out by Iranian state entities through the use of proxies, especially criminals and organized crime networks that target opponents and human rights defenders in various regions around the world, including European Union territories.
