UK sanctions Iranian officials to mark Mahsa Amini’s death

The United Kingdom has marked the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in Iranian custody by sanctioning officials responsible for Iran's mandatory hijab laws.

Mahsa Amini died at the age of 22 on 16^th September last year, after being arrested by Iran's 'morality police' for allegedly wearing 'improper' hijab. Eyewitnesses reported she was severely beaten an died as a result of police brutality.

Ahead of the anniversary, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office announced the UK had joined in coordinated sanctions today with Australia, Canada and United States against key officials and entities in Iran.

Iran's Islamist regime prohibits women from choosing what they wear, with punishments for refusing to wear a hijab including imprisonment and severe fines.

Amini's death sparked prolonged and widespread protests in Iran last year. This year, Iran has renewed its crackdown on women's rights.

The UK's sanctions include the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili, who is responsible for ensuring adherence to government dress codes.

Esmaili recently declared that actresses who remove the hijab in public or social media can no longer continue their careers, and that action would be taken against businesses whose female employees failed to adhere to mandatory hijab requirements.

Iranian Police Spokesman Saeed Montazer Al-Mahdi has also been sanctioned. He has said the regime will 'deal firmly' with those women who removed their hijab.

The UK has imposed sanctions on more than 350 Iranian officials and entities. In December 2022, Iran was removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Women's rights groups have also planned to mark the anniversary of Amini's death with rallies in the UK.

Announcing the sanctions, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly commended "the bravery of Iranian women as they continue to fight for fundamental freedoms".

He said the sanctions "send a clear message that the UK and our partners will continue to stand with Iranian women and call out the repression it is inflicting on its own people".

NSS: Amini's death "cast an awful light on the brutality of Iran's Islamist regime"

NSS chief executive Stephen Evans said: "We welcome the UK's participation in coordinated sanctions against Iran, and our government's support of the rights of Iranian women.

"Mahsa Amini's death one year ago shone a light on the brutality and misogyny of Iran's theocratic regime, and sparked a rebellion that liberals everywhere should support.

"It is imperative that we sustain pressure on Iran. This includes cracking down on the influence of Iranian politics and Islamist misogyny creeping into the UK."

Image: Protest in Parliament Square, London in solidarity with Mahsa Amini in 2022. Alisdare Hickson, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons