Britain Sanctions Iranian Officials Over human Rights Violations

Britain on Monday sanctioned more Iranian figures over human rights violations including the recent execution of British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari.

The sanctions included an asset freeze on Iranian deputy prosecutor general Ahmad Fazelian, who the British foreign office said was responsible for an unfair judicial system that used the death penalty for political purposes.

Others sanctioned include Kiyumars Heidari, commander in chief of Iran's ground forces; Hossein Nejat, deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps; the Basij Resistance Force and its deputy commander, Salar Abnoush.

Iran's security forces mainly controlled by the Revolutionary Guard and supported by the hardliner judiciary have killed around 500 civilians since anti-regime protests erupted in September.

The Basij Cooperative Foundation, linked to the Basij militia, and Qassem Rezaei, deputy commander of Iran's law enforcement forces, were also sanctioned.

"Those sanctioned today, from the judicial figures using the death penalty for political ends to the thugs beating protestors on the streets, are at the heart of the regime’s brutal repression of the Iranian people," British foreign minister James Cleverly said.

"The UK and our partners have sent a clear message through these sanctions that there will be no hiding place for those guilty of the worst human rights violations."

The European Union also imposed new sanctions on Iranian regime officials and entities for rights violations and the delivery of killer drones to Russia.

With reporting by Reuters