EU Slaps New Sanctions On Iranian Regime

The association called “Iranian Film and Theater Artists Abroad” is formed by 17 theater and cinema writers, filmmakers, and actors, and so far over 100 other artists inside and outside the country have joined it.

In a statement on Monday, the association said, “the release of political prisoners and artists, and putting international pressure on the Islamic Republic to stop issuing death sentences are among the most important demands of the association.”

As part of their statement, the signatories condemned the crackdown on protests, specifically the suppression of theater and film artists, saying, “The time has come to prevent more crimes by the Islamic Republic with launching massive protests and taking steps together with the people of Iran to end the existence of this repressive system.”

The statement has been endorsed by reputable international artists such as English actor Benedict Cumberbatch, English filmmakers Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Claire Simon, Mike Figgis, and Clio Barnard, Austrian theater director Stephan Bruckmeier, and American filmmakers Jeff Preiss and Deborah Hoffmann.

Since the start of nationwide protests in mid-September regime forces have killed nearly 500 protesters including 63 children and 29 women.

Many artists in various fields have been threatened due to their solidarity with people's protest movement and dozens arrested.

In the meantime, unconfirmed reports also say that Hossein Mohammadi, a 26-year-old theater actor has been sentenced to death.

In a statement published Monday, the foreign ministry listed four institutions and 13 individuals in the United Kingdom for their “deliberate actions in supporting terrorism..., hatred that causes riots, violence, terrorist acts, and human rights violations against the Iranian people.”

Some of the sanctioned individuals include Ken McCallum, Director General of the UK’s domestic spy agency MI5, as well as Chief of the Defense Staff Tony Radakin.

In a separate statement, the Iranian foreign ministry also announced sanctions on several EU officials and entities including Radio Farda, the Persian Service of Radio Free Europe in Prague, Netherlands-based Persian Radio Zamaneh, and Charlie Hebdo magazine.

Some current and former EU politicians including Hannah Neumann and Claudia Roth are also included in the list.

The sanctions include ban on issuing visas and entering Iran and confiscation of their property and assets in Iran, which would affect Iranian expats working for the two broadcasters.

The UK and European countries have been vocal critics of Iran’s crackdown on protestors, issuing multiple rounds of sanctions against the Islamic republic.

The sanctions coincide with Iran carrying out its second execution over the protests. Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, was publicly hanged Monday for allegedly stabbing two members of Basij militia in the city of Mashhad.

European Union foreign ministers on Monday condemned Iran for its crackdown on anti-government protests, moving ahead with a new package of sanctions meant to raise pressure on Tehran.

In a confidential warning to its clients seen by Iran International, London-based Lloyds Marine Insurance Company said that the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah illegally send gold from Venezuela to Iran to finance the terrorist activities of Tehran-backed militias in Lebanon, bypassing sanctions.

The document issued on October 28 is titled: Illicit trade and transfer of gold and Iranian oil – IRGC Quds Force and Hezbollah.

“The purpose of this e-alert is to inform the market of the illicit shipment of gold by the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah from Venezuela to Iran to raise funds for terrorist activities, facilitated by the sale of Iranian oil, in contravention of sanctions,” reads the letter.

Lloyds further added that flights from Caracas to Tehran via Mahan Air are being used as an illicit channel to ship gold to pay for Iranian oil, in breach of applicable sanctions.

Mahan Air is a privately owned Iranian airline linked to the IRGC sanctioned by US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for weapons transfers.

“The gold is then sold in Turkey, and other Middle Eastern countries, to generate funds for terrorist activity,” the leaked document alleged.

Lloyds also identifies some people who have been easing the illegal shipment of gold from Venezuela on behalf of the IRGC Qods Force.

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The first actor, according to Lloyds, is Hezbollah’s representative in Iran Ali Kassir, who is also a US OFAC designee under the SDGT program (Global Sanctions Regulation against Terrorism).

The other is Muhammad Jaafar Kassir, who is a senior Hezbollah official also designated by OFAC for his illegal activities linked with the militant group.

The Iranian airline Mahan Air is introduced as the third actor in the unlawful acquisition and shipment of gold from Venezuela on behalf of the IRGC Quds Force.

World’s largest marine insurance company has also called on its clients to observe enhanced due diligence measures if any of the entities mentioned are involved, as the coverage provided could indirectly expose the managing agents to risks of terrorist financing, money laundering and tax evasion.

US former Special Representative for Venezuela, Elliot Abrams for the first time in April 2020 announced that Iran is receiving gold for sending gasoline to Caracas.

Iranian officials denied receiving payment for fuel shipped to Venezuela by that time. However, Yahya Rahim-Safavi, a top Revolutionary Guards officer, who is Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's advisor in military affairs, told state media later in 2020 that “We gave gasoline to Venezuela and received gold bullion and we brought the gold with airplanes to Iran to prevent any incident during transit.”

Argentina grounded an Iran-linked Venezuelan Boeing 747 cargo plane on June 12, 2022 after it landed in Buenos Aires without any prior announcements.

Washington on August 3 asked permission to confiscate the plane impounded in Argentina on suspicions of links to international terrorist groups.

Based on revealed documents, there are other airplanes that are used for taking gold from Caracas to Tehran, but the seizure and future confiscation of the Boeing, which is already in Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, is a major step to erode Hezbollah’s economic resources.

The illegal gold sale operation revealed by the Lloyd’s company was also facilitated by a fixer called Seyed Badroddin Naiemael Moosavi.

The 47-year-old Iranian businessman controlled the load of gold that he obtained at a discounted price in exchange for the oil shipments to Venezuela. He was the person, who sold the golds on the black market in Turkey, and as a result millions of dollars were used to finance Hezbollah’s terrorist acts in the Middle East.

"We are going to approve a very tough package of sanctions", Josep Borrell said. "(The EU) will take any action we can to support young women and peaceful demonstrators."

EU foreign ministers meeting on Monday will try to agree on new sanctions on Iran over human rights violations and supply of drones to Russia.

A package of new sanctions is on the agenda for Iranian individuals and organizations over human rights abuses in Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protesters and its supply of drones to Russia.

The Islamic Republic Monday publicly hanged a second protesterarrested last month, which might force the EU to be tougher in its decisions.

New sanctions against Russia are also on the agenda, however, it remained unclear whether Hungary will block some decisions, resorting to what diplomats denounced as “blackmail diplomacy” due to a dispute over locked EY funds for Budapest.

"There is agreement, in principle, but there's also the big elephant in the room," a senior EU diplomat told reporters, referring to Budapest's use of its veto power. "It's a type of blackmail diplomacy that we would rather not see but it is what it is."

"Majid Reza Rahnavard was hanged in public in (the religious Shi'ite city of) Mashahd this morning ... he was sentenced to death for 'waging war against God' after stabbing to death two members of security forces," Mizan news website run by the country’s hardliner Judiciary said.

The hanging took place despite domestic and international outcry over the execution of the first protester, Mohsen Shekari, on December 8 who was charged with injuring a government security agent and blocking a street.

Both executions are seen as acts of intimidation against protesters, especially Rahnavard’s hanging in public.

Nationwide protests, in their third month, erupted after the killing of 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini on September 16 in the custody of morality police enforcing strict mandatory dress code laws.

The demonstrations have turned into a popular revolt by furious Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the worst legitimacy challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.

The government has used thousands of well-armed regular and irregular forces to repress the protests, using severe beating, firing shotguns that have killed and blinded hundreds of people and even military weapons.

Activists on social media criticized the execution of the 23-year-old Rahnavard as "a criminal act" by the clerical establishment to deter dissent.

The United States and a host of European countries and institutions had strongly condemned the first execution. Many Iranians living in Europe demanded that the European Union and its members take tougher measures against the Islamic Republic, including severing diplomatic ties and closing embassies.

Rights groups have said Shekari was tortured and forced to confess. All tirals of detained protesters take place behind closed doors without due process, including the right of the accused to have their own defense lawyers.

Amnesty International has said Iranian authorities are seeking the death penalty for at least 21 people in what it called "sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran".

Iran's state media aired footage of a man, which they identified as Rahnavard, stabbing another man who fell against a parked motorcycle and then stabbing another person immediately after.

Mizan said Rahnavard was arrested when trying to flee the country 23 days ago. It added that his sentence was upheld by a higher court.

Rights group HRANA said that as of Sunday 488 protesters had been killed, including 68 minors. It said 62 members of the security forces had also been killed. As many as 18,259 protesters are believed to have been arrested, it said.

While the United Nations says the protests have cost more than 300 lives, a top Iranian state security body has said that 200 people, including members of the security forces, had died in the unrest.