BRUSSELS, Jan 19 (Reuters) – European lawmakers adopted a resolution on Thursday calling for more sanctions against all Iranian individuals and entities responsible for human right violations and also voted for the Revolutionary Guard Corps to be designated as a terrorist entity.
“Iranian authorities must end crackdown on their own citizens (…) Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi should be added to the sanctions list,” the European Parliament said in a statement.
Anti-government demonstrations erupted in Iran in September after the death in custody of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, who had been detained by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic’s mandatory dress code for women.
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“The Iranian regime’s blatant disregard for human dignity and the democratic aspirations of its own citizens as well as its support to Russia “necessitate further adjustments in the EU’s position towards Iran“, the adopted resolution said.
Iran warned earlier that the European Union would “shoot itself in the foot” if it designated the Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament called for the EU to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organisation, blaming it for the repression of domestic protesters and the supply of drones to Russia’s military for use in Ukraine.
Iran and world powers, including EU members France and Germany, have engaged in negotiations since 2021 to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, with discussions in a stalemate since September.
(Reporting by Andrew Gray and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
