Iran Press/ Europe: The European Union on Monday announced new sanctions on a further 29 Iranian officials and three organizations for the alleged crackdown on protests, which began following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman who collapsed in police custody and was pronounced dead a few days later at a hospital.
The 29-member bloc imposed visa bans and asset freezes on Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, four members of the police staff that arrested Amini, high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), including its provincial commanders, the commander of the Iranian Army's Ground Forces, and state broadcaster Press TV.
EU accused PRESS TV of airing "forced confessions of detainees," an EU statement said, PRESS TV reported.
Experts believe that sanctions imposed on Press TV by the EU and earlier by the government of Canada are aimed at muzzling free speech and alternative views.
Press TV during the recent riots, as the news channel made a great effort to counter fake narratives fostered by Western media concerning Iran's riots.
Meanwhile, despite the EU's fake claims that "Press TV is responsible for producing and broadcasting the forced confessions of detainees," no such forced confessions have ever been produced or broadcast by the English-language news channel during the recent riots.
"We stand with the Iranian people and support their right to protest peacefully and voice their demands and views freely," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
In the first round of sanctions earlier in October, the EU imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 15 Iranian individuals and institutions linked to Amini's death and the clamp-down on protests.
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned in October that Tehran would take reciprocal action if the European Union imposed restrictive measures against the Islamic Republic over the recent riots in the country.
Riots broke out in Iran in mid-September after the death of Amini. The 22-year-old fainted at a police station in Tehran and was pronounced dead three days later in a hospital.
Rioters went on a rampage, brutally attacking security officers and causing massive damage to public property as Western powers, especially the United States, provided support.
Earlier in the month, Iran's Intelligence Ministry said the United States and the United Kingdom were "directly" involved in the unrest.
Britain sanctions Iranian officials over an alleged crackdown on rioters.
Britain on Monday imposed sanctions on Iranian officials, including a government minister, over what it claimed to be a "violent repression of protests" in the country.
The British government said it had added 24 designations under its Iran sanctions regime related to human rights.
The sanctions included Iranian Communications Minister Issa Zarepour and a range of local law enforcement and security officials, the British foreign office said in a statement.
The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans.
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