U.S. sanctions more Iranian leaders over Mahsa Amini death

Iranians protest to demand justice and highlight the death of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police and subsequently died in hospital in Tehran under suspicious circumstances.

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions against Iran on Thursday over the death of a young woman and the suppression of peaceful protesters.

Following Amini's death, there was a lot of protest. The Kurdish-Iranian woman died of an apparent brain hemorrhage in the custody of Iran's Morality Police, after being accused of wearing her hijab too loose. According to Treasury, police have shut down internet access and used lethal force to try to control demonstrations.

Brian Nelson said that the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are vital to guaranteeing individual liberty and dignity. The US condemns the Iranian government's Internet shutdown and will not hesitate to target those who support it.

Seven senior leaders in Iran's government and security apparatus have been blacklisted by the Treasury.

• Ahmad Vahid, Iran’s Minister of the Interior who maintains oversight over all Law Enforcement Forces deployed to subdue the protests
• Eisa Zarepour, the Minister of Communications
• Hossein Sajedinia, the Deputy Operations Commander of the Law Enforcement Forces
• Yadollah Javani, the Deputy Political Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
• Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, the head of the Iranian Cyber Police
• Hossein Nejat, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and close associate of Iran’s Supreme Leader
• Hossein Rahimi is Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces police chief in Tehran, who oversees much of the Morality Police’s hijab compliance enforcement in the capital

As a result of the sanctions, access to any property belonging to the individuals will be blocked.

Iran's Morality Police, its senior leadership, and other senior leaders of Iran's security organizations were targeted by the Treasury in September.