SANCTIONS IMPOSED AGAINST IRANIAN
OFFICIALS
US Departments of State and Treasury
brought sanctions in terms of traveling and finance against
8 senior officials for having ignored the human rights
violations that took place after the presidential elections
held in Iran last year. This decision which entered into
force upon the approval of US President Barack Obama and was
publicized by Timothy Geithner, Secretary of Treasury, has
been valid as of September 29, 2010. The above-mentioned
senior officials include Mohammad Ali Jafari (Commander of
the Revolutionary Guards Corps) ,Sadeq Mahsouli (Minister of
Welfare and Social Security), Heider Moslehi (Minister of
Intelligence), Ahmad Reza Radan (Director of Security of
Tehran), and Mostapha Mohammad Najjar (Interior Minister).
The sanctions involve the freezing of assets of the Iranian
officials in the US and the avoidance by the US nationals to
do business with these individuals.
Iranian deputies have called on the
government to give a response to the US which brought
sanctions against eight Iranian officials. In a statement
made in regard to the issue by the Parliamentary National
Security and Foreign Policy Commission, it was expressed
that “any attempt against the Iranian officials would be
countered with the united and coherent reaction of the
Iranian people and government”. In addition, Ramin
Mahmanparast, Speaker of the Iranian Foreign Ministry,
criticized the decision saying that “the decision was an
interference with the internal affairs of Iran and the US
was trying to create a chaos in Iran”. Major General Asmail
Ahmadi Muqaddam, Iranian Director General of Security who
interpreted the decision as a new intrigue, stated that “the
claims suggesting that the US had frozen the bank assets of
certain Iranian officials in the US were not true, since the
Iranian security officials had no bank accounts in the US”.
The decision of economic sanctions made by the US
Administration is deemed significant, as it is the first
decision made against the Iranian officials by showing the
human rights violations applied by them against their own
people as the reason, as well as the acts and doings
contrary to the international law. The decision also
underlines that human rights are a moral and pragmatic
necessity for the US and thus the US will always support all
the Iranians who want to make their voice heard.
