The European Union today added six individuals to its human rights sanctions list, targeting five judges from Iran’s Revolutionary Courts and Nima Salehi, founder of the Ashiyane cyber group.

In its statement, the EU Council said:

The Council is notably listing five judges of Iran regional Revolutionary courts who have presided over trials targeting religious minorities and political dissidents, including the Nobel Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi, on the basis of vaguely defined national security and religious charges. In those instances, they have imposed death sentences and long prison sentences, flogging, fines or supplementary punishments on political dissidents and human rights activists, including in connection with the 2022 ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protests following the death of Mahsa Amini.

In addition, the Council is targeting Nima Salehi an Iranian hacker and computer engineer, who is the founder and a leading figure within the ‘Ashiyane’ cyber group. Ashiyane Digital Security cooperates closely with the EU-listed Cyber Police (FATA) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is responsible for intensive cyber-attacks on both domestic opponents and reformists and foreign institutions, thereby assisting the regime’s crackdown against the opposition.

With today’s decision, EU restrictive measures over human rights violations in Iran now apply to a total of 269 individuals and 53 entities. The sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans to the EU, and a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed, as well as a ban on exports of equipment that might be used for internal repression.

The Council reiterated its strong support for the Iranian people’s aspirations for a future where universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are fully respected.