This brings to 61 the total number tabbed as human rights violators by the EU.
The United States started singling out human rights violators last year, but the EU then took up the cause with even greater enthusiasm and has named far more human rights violators.
EU officials seem to feel that citing human rights violators has more appeal within the EU than citing people for working on nuclear or missile programs and thereby mobilizes more opposition to the regime in Tehran.
The actual sanctions are not very harsh. Those sanctioned are barred from receiving visas to the 27 EU member states and any assets they have in the EU are frozen. The EU has not announced finding any assets from any of those so far sanctioned.
Of the 29 added to the list last week, almost all were officials of the police, Judiciary, prosecution, military and prison systems, Few were well known names. The most prominent were Interior Minister Heydar Moslehi, Culture Minister Mohammad Hossaini (named for repressing journalists), Justice Minister Morteza Bakhtiar and Maj. Gen. Hassan Firuzabadi, the highest-ranking military officer in the country as chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces.
Others include: Hassan Akharian, the warden of Ward 1 at Rajaishahr Prison in Karaj; Nabiollah Heydari, the commander of the national airport police; and Mahmud Abbas-zadeh-Meshkini, the political director at the Interior Ministry who issues licenses for political demonstrations—or, more accurately, does not issue such licenses.
