The United States imposed economic sanctions on seven top Iranian officials on Thursday for their role in the violent crackdown on protesters after the death of young Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for wearing the hijab improperly.
The sanctions were directed at the Minister of the Interior, Ahmad Vahidi, the Minister of Telecommunications, Issa Zarepour, and five senior officials of the security forces “for the shutdown of Iran’s Internet access and continued violence against peaceful protesters,” the US Treasury Department reported.
Protests erupted across Iran over the death of Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, following her arrest by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly breaking the strict dress code for women.
Security forces’ crackdown on the protests claimed dozens of lives, according to human rights groups.
“The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are vital to ensuring individual freedom and dignity,” Undersecretary of the Treasury Brian Nelson said in a statement.
“The United States condemns the Iranian government’s shutdown of the Internet and the continued violent suppression of peaceful protests and will not hesitate to attack those who direct and support such actions.”
On September 22, following Amini’s death in custody, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on the Iranian morality police..
The Treasury sanctions are intended to freeze any assets that the designees may have under US jurisdiction and prohibit any US individual or company, including international banks with operations in the country, from doing business with them, limiting their access to global financial networks.