White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Wednesday that the State and Treasury departments are designating 14 individuals and three entities as part of the administration’s response to human rights abuses in Iran, issuing new sanctions on them.
“Specifically, we are designating Iranian government officials who hold leadership positions within Iran’s police and prison systems and who are responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses,” Jean-Pierre said.
Among them is the governor of the Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Hossein Modarres Khiabani. Sistan and Baluchistan has been the site of some of the worst violence during the latest round of protests in Iran.
Jean-Pierre said the White House is designating “two entities involved in censorship, surveillance and malicious cyberactivity against the Iranian people.”
“The United States stands with Iranian women and with all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery,” Jean-Pierre said. “We will continue taking action to impose costs on those who commit violence against peaceful protesters or otherwise seek to suppress their very, very basic rights.”
White House spokesman John Kirby, who joined Jean-Pierre at the briefing, said the administration’s moves were not aimed at efforts to renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran and that it is seeking only to hold Iran accountable “for the way they’re treating innocent protesters in their country.”
Anti-government protests in Iran have been ongoing for more than five weeks since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while in the custody of what’s known as Iran’s “morality police” after being detained for an alleged violation of headscarf rules.
“Specifically, we are designating Iranian government officials who hold leadership positions within Iran’s police and prison systems and who are responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses,” Jean-Pierre said.
Among them is the governor of the Sistan and Baluchistan Province, Hossein Modarres Khiabani. Sistan and Baluchistan has been the site of some of the worst violence during the latest round of protests in Iran.
Jean-Pierre said the White House is designating “two entities involved in censorship, surveillance and malicious cyberactivity against the Iranian people.”
“The United States stands with Iranian women and with all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery,” Jean-Pierre said. “We will continue taking action to impose costs on those who commit violence against peaceful protesters or otherwise seek to suppress their very, very basic rights.”
White House spokesman John Kirby, who joined Jean-Pierre at the briefing, said the administration’s moves were not aimed at efforts to renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran and that it is seeking only to hold Iran accountable “for the way they’re treating innocent protesters in their country.”
Anti-government protests in Iran have been ongoing for more than five weeks since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while in the custody of what’s known as Iran’s “morality police” after being detained for an alleged violation of headscarf rules.
