The Australian government announced on Thursday that it is placing new sanctions on Iran.
The sanctions will target Iran’s morality police, the Basij Resistance Force and six Iranians behind the brutal treatment of protesters outraged over the September death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini at the hands of the morality police, the Australian Jewish News reported.
“The listings demonstrate the Australian government’s commitment to take clear action to assert our values, and to hold perpetrators of serious human rights violations and abuses to account,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong and assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts said in a joint statement.
The ministers added that Iranians supplying drones to Russia for use in Ukraine would also be subject to sanctions.
“In addition to human rights sanctions, Australia is joining partners to announce further targeted financial sanctions on three Iranian individuals and one business involved in the supply of drones to Russia for use against Ukraine,” they said.
“The supply of drones to Russia is evidence of the role Iran plays in destabilizing global security.”
The move was praised by human rights groups, including Jewish community leaders, who have been urging the Australian government to introduce further sanctions against Iran for human rights abuses.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-CEO Peter Wertheim told the news outlet that the sanctions were a move in the right direction but said that the Australian government needs to go further and list the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
“The list of Iranian individuals and entities sanctioned by Australia needs to be expanded to include the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), as well as those at the real centres of power in Iran, the Supreme Leader, President, and key members of the Guardianship Council and Judiciary,” he said.