Mahsa Amini Death Anniversary: Iran calls new sanctions “illegal”
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Raven Ruma
- . September 16, 2023
- . Update: September 16, 2023 5:04 pm
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman, died on September 16, 2022, in Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since her death, Iran has been gripped by huge protests and Western sanctions.
On September 16, 2023, Iran marked the death anniversary of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the country’s morality police. Many Western countries imposed sanctions on Iran to mark the death anniversary of Mahsa Amini.
Why Iran called new sanctions “illegal”
The Islamic Republic of Iran has hit out at Western countries for imposing new sanctions on multiple Iranian individuals and entities. Iran called their sanctions an “illegal” decision.
The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced new sanctions on many Iranians and Iranian entities on Friday.
Nasser Kanani, an Iranian diplomat and the 13th spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, slammed the new sanctions, calling them “illegal.” He condemned the “interventionist actions and statements and ridiculous and hypocritical displays” of the Western countries.
He also warned European diplomats against imposing new sanctions on Iran.
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Who is targeted under new sanctions?
On Friday, the eve of the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, United States President Joe Biden announced new sanctions against many Iranian individuals.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) of the US Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against 29 Iranian individuals and organizations in connection with Mahsa Amini’s death.
The US imposed sanctions on the head of Iran’s Prisons Organization, Gholamali Mohammadi, Fars and Tasnim news agencies, members of the government’s security forces, and Press TV. The US alleged that they were linked to Iran’s suppression of protests after Mahsa Amini’s death.
Friday’s US sanctions also targeted regional commanders of the national police force and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a multi-service primary branch of the Iranian Armed Forces.
The UK imposed sanctions on Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, Tehran mayor, Alireza Zakani, and Iranian police spokesman Saeed Montazer Almehdi.
The European Union (EU) imposed sanctions on a Revolutionary Guards commander, two regional police officers and the head of a prison.
Hossein Amirabdollahian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, called the new sanctions a “joke.” He reportedly said, “The sanctions that the Americans are imposing against Iran these days are more like a joke.”
What happened to Mahsa Amini?
Mahsa Amini was traveling to Tehran on 13 September, 2022. Iranian morality police allegedly arrested her because she was wearing a loose hijab. They forcefully took her to the detention center. Later on, Amini collapsed at the detention center. She was taken to a hospital in the Iranian capital. On 16 September, 2023, she died at the hospital due to injuries. Human rights activists said that the morality police beat Amini with a baton, which led to her death.
