EU sanctions Iranians, but not the Revolutionary Guards

The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell speaks before the meeting of EU foreign ministers, in Brussels, on January 23, 2023. © Virginia Mayo / AP

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1 min

Since the death in detention of Mahsa Amini on September 16, the European Union has not ceased to condemn the violence of the repression of demonstrations by Tehran.

While Iran accuses Europe of waging a hybrid, psychological, media, economic war "

against the Iranian nation

", the 27 Foreign Ministers of the European Union issued new sanctions on Monday January 23 in Brussels.

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With our correspondent in Brussels,

Pierre Benazet

The European Union has chosen to implement individual sanctions against 37 individuals or entities for their role in the disproportionate use of force during the crackdown.

On the list are in particular Hamid Sajjadi, the Iranian Minister of Sports and Youth, as well as four deputies and two directors of public broadcasting.

The call made by

MEPs to register the Revolutionary Guards as

a terrorist organization, however, was not followed by the 27.

Iran had threatened them with retaliatory measures

 :

" 

It's something that cannot be decided without an initial court decision

," explains the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell

.

You can't say

"I consider you a terrorist because I don't like you".

A court in one of the Member States must issue a legal opinion, a concrete condemnation.

Only then can we work on it at European level, but there must first be a court decision.

 »

Josep Borrell points out that the EU has nevertheless decided to place 12 military units that are part of the Revolutionary Guard Corps and four of their commanders on the sanctions list.

► 

To read also

 : 

EU: "The registration of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist entity could lead to their isolation"

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