Canada announced Monday a new round of sanctions targeting 12 senior officials of Iran’s regime’s Revolutionary Guards and police forces for “flagrant and systematic violations of human rights” in the context of social protests.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Melanie Jolyexplained in a statement that the new round of sanctions, the ninth imposed by his country since October 2022, is a consequence of the repression undertaken by the Iranian authorities against the population, including actions in the Kurdish areas in the west of the country.
Among those sanctioned are the governor of Kurdistan province, Esmail Zarei Koushaand the general of the Revolutionary Guard and commander of the paramilitary corps in Kurdistan, Seyeh Sadegh Hosseini.
The measures freeze the possible assets that those sanctioned have in Canada and prevent them from entering the country.
Joly stated that “the Iranian regime continues to brutally oppress its people and deny them their fundamental rights and freedoms,” adding that Canada “will not stop standing up for Iranians and their human rights.”
Since in September 2022 the 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed by the Morale Police Demonstrations have taken place in the country to protest the repression by the Iranian authorities for wearing the Islamic headscarf incorrectly.
The repression has caused almost 500 deaths and nearly 20,000 detainees according to figures offered by non-governmental organizations and activists. To this is added the execution of four protesters, one of them publicand hanging sentences of at least 17 people.
The young Spanish Ana Baneira returned to her country on Monday after being imprisoned for almost four months in Iran accused of participating in the protests over the death of Amini.
The 24-year-old Spaniard was released by the Iranian authorities a few days ago and arrived today from Geneva (Switzerland) at the Santiago de Compostela airport, capital of the Galicia region (northwest), where she is from.
A member of a human rights NGO, Baneira was arrested last November for allegedly participating in protests after the death of Mahsa Amini.
The arrival in Santiago by air was confirmed to the press by the family spokesperson, llerena perozo. “She comes well, although very tired,” according to what she told the news agency EFE.
“Now he is going to rest and tomorrow we will meet to try to respond to all the media,” added the spokeswoman. “She and her family send their thanks” (to the journalists), she said in a message.
On Saturday, after being released, Baneira was picked up by the Spanish ambassador in Tehran, Angel Losadaand that same day he spoke by phone with the Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares.
He told him that he was fine, conveyed his joy at returning home and thanked him for the steps taken, which finally ended with his release.
He is also Spanish Santiago Sanchez FuckerInstead, he remains in an Iranian prison for now, in his case after being arrested on October 2, after visiting Amini’s tomb in Saqqez.
(With information from EFE)
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Source-www.infobae.com