Iran Reacts to EU's 'Crackdown on Protesters' Sanctions with "Suspension of Cooperation"

EU Sanctions Iranian Officials Over 2019 Protest Crackdown
Iran Calls Protest Suppression Fake News, Threatens to Halt Cooperation on Refugee Issues

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Iran has decided to suspend cooperation with the European Union (EU) in various areas, including refugee issues, in response to the EU's sanctions related to Iran's human rights issues.

According to major foreign media on the 12th (local time), a spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly criticized the EU's sanctions and announced, "We will suspend cooperation on terrorism, drugs, refugee issues, and all human rights dialogues."

The spokesperson added, "The human rights issues raised by the EU are false claims," and "We are considering retaliatory sanctions."

Earlier, the EU imposed travel bans and asset freezes on eight senior military and militia officials, including Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. This was in response to the violent crackdown on anti-government protests that occurred in Iran in 2019.

The EU also imposed asset freezes on three prisons, including two located in the Tehran area. With this, the total number of individuals sanctioned by the EU targeting Iran has increased to 89.

The EU explained, "Salami attended a meeting where he ordered the use of lethal force to suppress protests in November 2019," and "Salami is responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran."

According to foreign media, the anti-government protests that began on November 15, 2019, reportedly resulted in 1,500 deaths in less than two weeks. The official death toll counted by the United Nations was 304.

On the other hand, Iranian authorities have denied these figures, calling them "fake news."

However, on the 9th of last month, Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, released a report criticizing the Iranian authorities for using lethal force against protesters and for the lack of proper investigation and accountability.

Meanwhile, the EU stated that these sanctions are unrelated to the ongoing negotiations to restore the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).