US slaps sanctions against eight Iranians for human rights violations

WASHINGTON - The United States has imposed sanctions against eight Iranian officials, including several government ministers, for human rights violations.

Under a new executive order signed by US President Barack Obama, and announced in Washington on Wednesday, the sanctions are intended to punish the officials deemed responsible for the arbitrary detention, killing, torture, beating and rape of Iranian citizens since the country’s disputed 2009 presidential election.

Among the individuals targeted are Iranian Interior Minister, Welfare and Social Security Minister, Intelligence Minister, deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces for law enforcement, deputy chief of the national police and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Announcing the sanctions, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said: “Today we are moving from just criticizing the government … to calling out individuals within the government whom we believe can be traced to abuses.”

The sanctions are designed to freeze any assets in the US and to limit international travel options, The Christian Science Monitor reports.he action follows sanctions imposed on Iran earlier this year over its nuclear program.

However, the news sanctions are the first imposed by the US on Iran for human rights violations. (ANI)