Canada has sanctioned 12 senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard and police officers for suppressing protests

Canada announced on Monday a new round of sanctions targeting 12 senior members of the Iranian regime’s Revolutionary Guards and police forces for “gross and systematic violations of human rights” in the context of social demonstrations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Melanie Jolyexplained in a statement that the new round of sanctions, the ninth imposed by his country since October 2022, is a consequence of the repression undertaken by the Iranian authorities against the population, in particular actions in the Kurdish areas in the west of the country. .

Among those sanctioned are the governor of the province of Kurdistan, Esmaeil Zarei Koushaand General of the Revolutionary Guards and commander of the paramilitary corps in Kurdistan, Seyeh Sadegh Hosseini.

The measures freeze any assets sanctioned persons have in Canada and prevent them from entering the country.

Joly said that “the Iranian regime continues to brutally oppress its people and deny them their fundamental rights and freedoms”, adding that Canada “will not stop defending Iranians and their human rights”.

Since September 2022, the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed by the morale police Demonstrations have been held across the country to protest Iranian authorities’ crackdown on the incorrect wearing of the Islamic headscarf.

The crackdown left nearly 500 dead and nearly 20,000 detained according to figures offered by non-governmental organizations and activists. Added to this is the execution of four demonstrators, including an audienceand suspended sentences of at least 17 people.

The young Spaniard Ana Baneira returned to her country on Monday after being imprisoned for nearly four months in Iran accused of having taken part in the demonstrations against the death of Amini.

The 24-year-old Spaniard was released a few days ago by the Iranian authorities and arrived today from Geneva (Switzerland) to the airport of Santiago de Compostela, capital of the Galicia region ( northwest), where she is from.

A member of a human rights NGO, Baneira was arrested last November for allegedly participating in protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.

The arrival in Santiago by air was confirmed to the press by the family’s spokesperson, llerena perozo. “She is fine, although very tired,” she told the news agency. EFE.

“Now he is going to rest and tomorrow we will meet again to try to respond to all the media,” the spokeswoman added. “She and her family send their thanks to you” (to reporters), he said in a message.

On Saturday, after being released, Baneira was picked up by the Spanish ambassador in Tehran, Losada Angeland on the same day he spoke by telephone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares.

He told him that he was fine, expressed his joy at returning home and thanked him for the steps taken, which finally led to his release.

He is also Spanish Santiago Sanchez fuckerInstead, he remains in an Iranian prison for the time being, in his case after being arrested on October 2, after visiting Amini’s grave in Saqqez.

(With information from EFE)

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