The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, announced new sanctions against Iran in response to violent interventions against protesters. European institutions emphasize the obligation to act to protect human rights.
The head of foreign policy of the European Union (EU), Kaja Kallas, plans to propose new sanctions against Iran after the intervention of Iranian security forces against demonstrators in Iran has already claimed hundreds of lives. TASR informs about it, referring to Kallasova’s interview with Politico magazine, which was published on Monday.
“The EU has already imposed extensive sanctions on Iran — those responsible for human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation activities and Tehran’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine — and I am ready to propose additional sanctions in response to the (Iranian) regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters,” Kallas told Politico.
Calls for EU intervention
European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen said over the weekend that Brussels was “monitoring” the situation, while European Parliament (EP) President Roberta Metsolová wrote on Platform X that “Europe must understand its duty and the need to act.”
The Norwegian NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported on Sunday that nearly 200 protesters have been killed in Iran since the demonstrations broke out on December 28. Other organizations dealing with human rights – including the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) – report a number of more than 500 people.
The reasons for the demonstrations
“The regime has a history of suppressing protests and we see a harsh reaction from the security forces,” added Kallas. “Citizens are fighting for the future they have chosen, and they are risking everything to be heard,” she added.
The current wave of demonstrations was fueled by a sharp drop in the value of the Iranian rial. The protests in December were initially started by retailers in the capital, Tehran, and later spread to other areas of the Islamic Republic. Student organizations that played a role in protest movements in the past also called for demonstrations.
