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US sanctions Iran morality police over woman’s death
Following the death in detention of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained for reportedly wearing her hijab headscarf inappropriately, the United States added Iran’s morality police to its sanctions blacklist on Thursday.
The US Treasury announced the sanctions “for abuse and brutality against Iranian women and the violation of rights of peaceful Iranian protestors” and claimed that the morality police were “responsible” for Amini’s death, which has provoked a wave of public outrage.
In response to last week’s death of Iranian-Kurdish Amini, who had been detained by the national police’s public morals unit, violent protests broke out across Iran.
“Mahsa Amini was a courageous woman whose death in morality police custody was yet another act of brutality by the Iranian regime’s security forces against its own people,” said Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.
“We condemn this unconscionable act in the strongest terms and call on the Iranian government to end its violence against women and its ongoing violent crackdown on free expression and assembly,” Yellen said in a statement.
At least 17 people have reportedly died in unrest after Amini’s passing, as women burned their headscarves and protesters criticized the government’s direction and limitations on women.
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At least 31 citizens have been slain in six nights of violence, according to the non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights, located in Oslo.
Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, the head of the morality police, Haj Ahmad Mirzaei, the head of the morality police’s Tehran division, and five other top security officers who participated in the suppression of protestors were also sanctioned by the Treasury.
According to reports, Rostami declared earlier this year that women who refused to wear a hijab would face consequences.
“The Iranian government needs to end its systemic persecution of women and allow peaceful protest,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“The United States will continue to voice our support for human rights in Iran and hold those who violate them to account,” he said in a statement.
Treasury sanctions aim to restrict the designated parties’ access to worldwide financial networks by freezing any assets they may have that are subject to US jurisdiction and prohibiting any US persons or entities — including foreign banks with US operations — from doing business with them.
