35 minutes agoEU in line with US, announces Iran's Revolutionary Guard terrorist organisation
Periskopi(6 months ago)
(6 months ago)The European Union has achieved the unanimousness needed to define the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, I Iran's RC as a terrorist organisation, a very symbolic rebuke in response to the violent oppression of the Islamic Republic against street protesters. The political decision was made Thursday during a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in [...]
The European Union has achieved the unanimousness needed to define the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, I Iran's RC as a terrorist organisation, a very symbolic rebuke in response to the violent oppression of the Islamic Republic against street protesters.
The political decision was made Thursday during a meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Brussels.
This definition will bring a freeze of assets, a ban on funding and a travel ban on all IRC permanent members, many of whom are already subject to these restrictions under the regular EU sanctions regime.
“Repression cannot be left unanswered. Any regime that kills thousands of its own people is working towards its destruction”, said High Representative Kaya Kallas, writes “Euronews”.
This progress was made possible after France and Spain, both which had raised concerns about the definition, showed a change of position Wednesday. Belgium, whose stance was unclear, also moved towards approval.
“We cannot allow any impunity for crimes that have been committed”, French Foreign Minister Jean-Nowl Barrot said, urging Tehran to free political prisoners, end the executions and restore internet access.
Barrot also demanded that Iranian authorities allow two French citizens to leave the country. Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who spent more than three years imprisoned in Iran, are on parole at the French Embassy in Tehran.
The IRC is accused of orchestrating violent crackdowns on protests by Iran, supplying Russia's weapons, issuing ballistic missiles to Israel, and maintaining close ties with armed allies such as Hezbollah, Hamas and Yemeni Huth.
The United States, Canada and Australia have already declared IRC a terrorist organisation. Germany and the Netherlands have repeatedly asked the bloc to follow suit.
Since today, the list of terrorist organisations in the EU, which is periodically renovated, includes 22 groups, such as Hamas, Hezbollah's military arm and the Kurdistan Workers' Party.
