AUSTRALIA: Australia would impose targeted sanctions on Iran and Russia, announced Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Saturday, saying that they are involved in “egregious human rights violations and abuses.”
To uphold human rights, “Australia is imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions on 13 individuals and two entities, including Iran’s Morality Police, over their involvement in egregious human rights abuses,” tweeted Wong.
The police, the Basij Resistance Force, and six Iranians were all involved in the crackdown on demonstrations sparked by the death of Masha Amini, a 22-year-old, in police custody in September.
Wong claimed that Seyed Sadegh Hosseini, a top commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was subject to the sanctions. For his alleged involvement in the “indiscriminate use of violence against protestors,” he was listed.
“The Iranian regime’s blatant and pervasive disregard for its own people’s human rights has outraged Australians, and the offenders must be held accountable.” Wong stated.
Wong said in a statement she released with Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Watts that seven Russians implicated in what the foreign minister described as the attempted killing of former opposition leader Alexei Navalny would also be subject to human rights sanctions.
In addition to restrictions related to human rights, Wong claimed that Australia was imposing further targeted financial sanctions on three Iranian individuals and one Iranian company for providing drones to Russia for use against Ukraine.
“Australia is also joining partners to apply financial sanctions on Iranians and a business involved in supplying drones to Russia for use against Ukraine,” Wong stated, adding that this listing emphasises that those who assist Russia with material will suffer the repercussions.
“Iran’s support of Russia in its illegal war against Ukraine is unacceptable and only further destabilises global security,” Wong continued.
The announcement comes after the center-left Labor government of Australia slapped travel and financial penalties upon 28 Russian-appointed separatists, ministers, and senior officials in October in response to President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the annexation of four areas of Ukraine.
In addition, it has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid and defence supplies while forbidding the export of alumina and aluminium ores, including bauxite, to Russia.
In March, the former Liberal-National coalition government in Australia named 14 Russians as its initial targets for Magnitsky-style sanctions, which also included monetary fines and travel limitations.
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