EU names 17 Iranians sanctioned over human rights

The European Union has imposed sanctions on 17 Iranian officials, including prominent members of the government and the judiciary it says play a key role in serious human rights violations, Reuters reported. Agreed by EU foreign ministers on Friday, the new sanctions list, published on Saturday, includes the minister of information and communication, Reza Taqipour, and the head of Iran's state broadcasting network (IRIB), Ezzatollah Zarghami. The EU's official journal describes Taqipour as "one of the top officials in charge of censorship and control of internet activities" and outlines IRIB's role in the broadcast of "forced confessions and show trials". The head of the Iranian judiciary, Sadeq Larijani - brother of Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani - is on the list for signing off death sentences, including stoning, floggings, amputations and the pouring of acid into the eyes of the convicted. The new names have extended the list to a total of 78 Iranians who are subject to asset freezes and travel bans because of their alleged involvement in human rights abuses. The list is separate from EU sanctions against individuals and entities associated with Iran's nuclear activities, which the EU and the United States believe are part of a programmer to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies. Tehran has accused the West of using what it says are bogus human rights concerns as a further way to isolate the Islamic Republic. It has drawn up its own list of Americans it says are guilty of rights violations in Iraq and Afghanistan.