The Council of Europe has announced that it has taken sanctions against “seven individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.”

Foreign ministers of European Union (EU) countries gathered in Luxembourg for their regular meetings. As the EU expanded sanctions against Iran, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged citizens not to travel to Iran. EU COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT ON SANCTIONS Initiating discussions on relations with Iran during their regular meetings, ministers decided to implement new measures within the existing sanctions regime towards Tehran. In a written statement from the EU Council regarding the matter, it was stated that “the Council decided today to impose restrictive measures on seven individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran, including the arbitrary use of the judiciary as a tool for arbitrary arrests.”

The statement expressed deep concern that “the EU continues to be deeply concerned about Iran’s arbitrary detention of EU citizens for political gain with false pretexts.” WHO WILL BE SUBJECT TO SANCTION? As part of this, “Shiraz Central Prison in Fars province, the First Branch of Shiraz Revolutionary Court, Evin Prison Director Farzadi Hedayatollah, Fars Prisons Protection and Intelligence Department Director Mehdi Nemati, and five judicial officials” were included in the sanctions. The EU’s sanctions regime includes travel bans, freezing of assets belonging to individuals or entities, and a ban on transferring funds to them. The EU currently imposes sanctions on a total of 232 individuals and 44 entities in Iran. FRANCE: WE WILL COMPLAIN TO ICJ ABOUT IRAN Furthermore, French Foreign Minister Barrot announced on his social media account that his country would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Iranian officials for refusing to allow two French citizens to visit the consulate. The French Minister stated, “I call on French citizens not to travel to Iran and for those present in Iran to leave as soon as possible.”