Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/152 of 23 January 2023 implementing Regulation (EU) No 359/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Iran
Date: 2023-01-23
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU restrictive measure, Iran, economic sanctions, international sanctions, legal person, natural person








LI2023020EN.01000101.xml










23.1.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


LI 20/1








            COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2023/152
of 23 January 2023
         
implementing Regulation (EU) No 359/2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Iran


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,


Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) No 359/2011 of 12 April 2011 concerning restrictive measures directed against certain persons, entities and bodies in view of the situation in Iran (1), and in particular Article 12(1) thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:







(1)


On 12 April 2011, the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 359/2011.












(2)


On 25 September 2022, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a declaration on behalf of the Union deploring the widespread and disproportionate use of force by the Iranian security forces against non-violent protestors, noting that it had resulted in the loss of lives as well as a large number of injuries. The declaration also spelled out that those responsible for the killing of Mahsa Amini must be held accountable, and called on the Iranian authorities to ensure transparent and credible investigations to clarify the number of deaths and arrests, to release all non-violent protestors and to provide due process to all detainees. Furthermore, the declaration stressed that Iran’s decision to severely restrict internet access and block instant messaging platforms blatantly violates freedom of expression. Finally, the declaration stated that the Union will consider all the options at its disposal to address the killing of Mahsa Amini and the way Iranian security forces have responded to the ensuing demonstrations.












(3)


In this context, and in line with the Union’s commitment to address all issues of concern with Iran, including the human rights situation, 18 persons and 19 entities should be included in the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 359/2011.












(4)


Regulation (EU) No 359/2011 should therefore be amended accordingly,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1
Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 359/2011 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.


Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 23 January 2023.


For the Council


The President

J. BORRELL FONTELLES
            





(1)  
            OJ L 100, 14.4.2011, p. 1.




ANNEX
The following persons and entities are added to the list of natural and legal persons, entities and bodies set out in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 359/2011:
Persons










 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘156.


SAJJADI Seyed Hamid Hazaveh
هزاوه حمید سید سجادی


DOB: 21.3.1969
POB: Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: Iranian Minister of Sports and Youth


Hamid Sajjadi is Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth.
He is responsible for pressuring Iran’s athletes into silence and for preventing them from speaking out internationally against repression in Iran. He was personally involved in the case of Elnaz Rekabi, an Iranian athlete climber who competed without hijab at the Asian Championship rock climbing competition in Seoul in the autumn of 2022. After her competition, Rekabi was tricked into entering the Iranian embassy building in Seoul, where her passport and mobile phone were confiscated on the orders of the authorities in Tehran. Upon her likely forced arrival in Tehran, she was interrogated by two of Iran’s political and sports institutions and met with Sajjadi. In this meeting, she was coerced into making a statement apologising for competing without a hijab and was threatened with the confiscation of family land. In December 2022, it became clear that Elnaz Rekabi’s family home in Zanjan had been demolished.
Hamid Sajjadi is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




157.


GOLPAYEGANI Seyyed Mohammed Saleh Hashemi
گلپایگانی سید محمد صالح هاشمی


DOB: 1967
POB: Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: Head of the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil (Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice)
Associated entities: Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil (Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice), Morality Police


Seyyed Mohammed Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani has been the head of the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil (also known as the Office or Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) since 25 August 2021. The Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil is a government institution which is responsible for determining and enforcing excessively strict behavioural models in society.
In 2022, the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil was instrumental in setting new and stricter morality codes for women that are in clear violation of their human rights. Additionally, the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil plays a central role in setting up the monitoring and often brutal sanctioning of women and men who do not respect these codes. These strict codes are subsequently brutally enforced by the EU-listed Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) (and specifically its Morality Police).
As the head of the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil, Seyyed Mohammed Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




158.


ASGARI Hassan
حسن عسگری
a.k.a. ASKARI Hassan
حسن عسگری


POB: Bijar, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: governor of Sanandaj, Kurdistan province
Associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


Hassan Asgari is the governor of the city of Sanandaj in Iran’s Kurdistan province and a former Commander of the local Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces.
As governor of Sanandaj, he is responsible for the violent and brutal response in that city to the protests following the death of the young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in September 2022. When a 16-year-old protester was reportedly killed by security forces in Sanandaj, Asgari and other officials stated that she died of a drug overdose, potentially by suicide. Providing false alternative causes of death for protesters killed by security forces is a common tactic used by Iranian officials to evade accountability for their human rights abuses.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




159.


KHIABANI Hossein Modarres
مدرس حسین خیابانی


DOB: March 1968/1969
POB: Tehran, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: former governor of Sistan and Baluchestan province


Hossein Modarres Khiabani was the governor of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province from September 2021 to December 2022 and was responsible for overseeing Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in the province.
During his time as governor, the LEF and other security forces cracked down on various protests and used excessive violence against protesters. There is wide evidence of the use of disproportionate force that led to the killing of at least 66 people in the city of Zahedan in Sistan and Baluchestan province on 30 September 2022.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




160.


KOUSHA Esmaeil Zarei
کوشا اسماعیل زارعی
a.k.a. KOSHA Ismail
کشا یسمیل


DOB: 1978
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: governor of Kurdistan province


Esmaeil Zarei Kousha is the governor of Iran’s Kurdistan province and responsible for overseeing Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) in the province.
As such, he is responsible for the brutal response and excessive use of violence by the LEF and security forces to the protests held in Kurdistan following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




161.


KOWSARI Mohammad Esmail
اسماعیل محمد کوثری


DOB: 3.5.1955
POB: Tehran, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Rank: Brigadier General
Function: member of the Iranian Parliament


Mohammad Esmail Kowsari has been a member of the Iranian Parliament (“MP”) since 2020. He is a hard-line lawmaker and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member. Before becoming an MP, Kowsari was the commander of the IRGC’s Sarallah headquarters in Tehran from 2017 to 2020.
During the 2022/2023 protests, he has repeatedly threatened security forces with consequences if they do not fulfil their duty and crack down on protests. He has also called for more military action against peaceful protests. As an MP, he has urged the Iranian judiciary to sentence protestors to death.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




162.


MIRSALIM Mostafa
میرسلیم مستفا
a.k.a. MIR-SALIM Mostafa; MIRSALIM Sayyid Mostafa Agha
میر-سالم مستفا
میرسلیم سید مستفا آقا


DOB: 9.6.1947
POB: Tehran, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Passport no: Q5956077 (Iran)
Function: member of the Iranian Parliament


Mostafa Mirsalim is a member of the Iranian Parliament.
During the 2022/2023 protests, he has been particularly vocal in his support for the death penalty for arrested protesters, using the parliament as a platform to vehemently promote and call for their executions. He has called for protestors to be executed in a matter of days after their arrest. He also frequently attacks the free press and is in favour of restricting social media.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




163.


NAGHDALI Mohammad Taghi
تقی محمد نقدعلی


DOB: 6.6.1972
POB: Khomeinishahr- Isfahan, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: member of the Iranian Parliament


Mohammad Taghi Naghdali is a member of the Iranian Parliament and member of the Parliament’s legal commission.
During the 2022/2023 protests, he has been particularly vocal in his support for the death penalty for arrested protesters, using the parliament as a platform to vehemently promote and call for their executions. He also frequently attacks the free press and is involved in drafting laws to restrict the free flow of information.
He is therefore responsible for serious human right violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




164.


GHAZANFARABADI Mousa
موسا غضنفرآبادی


DOB: 1966
POB: Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: member of the Iranian Parliament; head of the Parliament’s legal and judicial commission


Mousa Ghazanfarabadi is a member of the Iranian Parliament and the head of the Parliament’s legal and judicial commission. As such, he is responsible for the judicial and legal review of the proposed ministerial plans in Parliament, the review and approval of plans related to criminal law as well as investigating the performance of the country's officials and managers from a judicial and legal point of view.
He has not condemned the serious human rights violations of Iranian officials during the 2022/2023 protests. On the contrary, he has personally stated that women who violate hijab rules should be deprived of social rights and has argued for the use of force when dealing with them. He is also whitewashing the crimes committed by Iranian forces by defending the government’s version of events surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini.
He is therefore responsible for serious human right violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




165.


NOROOZI Ahmad
نوروزی احمد
a.k.a. NOROUZI Ahmad; NEWROUZI Ahmad; NAWROUZI Ahmad


DOB: 1988
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) World Service; CEO of Press TV
Associated entities: Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB); Press TV


Ahmad Noroozi is the head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) World Service and the CEO of Press TV, the main pro-government English language channel that oversees IRIB’s foreign-language outlets.
IRIB is the Iranian state-run media corporation and has broadcast hundreds of forced confessions by Iranian, dual-national and international detainees in Iran. IRIB and its subsidiaries act as a critical tool in the Iranian government’s mass suppression and censorship campaign against its own people. IRIB has produced and recently broadcast interviews of individuals being forced to confess that their relatives were not killed by Iranian authorities during nationwide protests but died due to accidental, unrelated causes.
Press TV is responsible for producing and broadcasting the forced confessions of detainees, including journalists, political activists and persons belonging to the Kurdish and Arab minorities, violating internationally recognised rights to a fair trial and due process.
In his capacity as head of IRIB and as CEO of Press TV, Ahmad Noroozi is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




166.


POURANVARI Youssef
یوسف پورانواری
a.k.a. POURANVARI Youssuf


DOB: 26.5.1983
POB: Tehran, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
National ID no: 0492699836 (Iran)
Function: director of the Programs and Scheduling Department at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) foreign-language flagship channel
Associated entities: Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)


Youssef Pouranvari is the director of the Programs and Scheduling Department at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) foreign-language flagship channel.
As the Government of Iran’s state-run media conglomerate, IRIB has a monopoly on television and radio services in Iran and plays a central role in restricting the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and impeding the free flow of information in Iran through censorship activities. IRIB produces, sponsors, and spreads government propaganda both in Iran and internationally. Furthermore, IRIB regularly broadcasts false and baseless accusations against Iranian citizens, dual nationals, and foreigners, and uses falsified news to misinform and falsely incriminate perceived enemies of the regime. IRIB also cooperates extensively with security and intelligence agencies, including Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), to obtain and publicly disseminate forced confessions from Iranians, dual-nationals and foreign detainees. Testimonies and other evidence point to the use of torture, both physical and psychological; threats against family members; and degrading treatment to extract forced confessions. Since 2009, IRIB programmes have broadcast hundreds of forced confessions as well as defamatory content against hundreds more. IRIB uses forced confessions in particular to frame dual nationals and foreigners as spies, demonise human rights activists, and legitimise repression against religious minority groups such as the Baha’i community.
In his capacity as director of the Programs and Scheduling Department at the IRIB foreign-language flagship channel, Youssef Pouranvari contributes to the repression of peaceful demonstrators, journalists, human rights defenders, students or other persons who speak up in defence of their legitimate rights.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




167.


KADEM Ahmad
کادم احمد


Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Rank: Brigadier General
Function: head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) regional headquarters Karbala


Brigadier General Ahmad Kadem is the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Operational Base (regional headquarters) Karbala, which commands IRGC troops in the provinces of Khusestan, Lorestan and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad.
During the 2022 protests, IRGC troops under his command conducted operations against protesters, in particular in the Khusestan and Lorestan regions, including in the towns of Khorramabad (Lorestan) and Izeh (Khusestan). IRGC troops used disproportionate force in these operations, using live ammunition against protesters. As overall commander of the IRGC troops in these regions, Kadem is responsible for violence against protesters conducted by those troops.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




168.


AZIMI Mohammad Nazar
نظر محمد عظیمی,
a.k.a. AZIMI Mohammadnazar
عظیمی موهاممادنازار


Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Rank: Brigadier General
Function: commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters Najaf Al-Ashraf


Brigadier General Mohammad Nazar Azimi is the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters Najaf Al-Ashraf, which commands IRGC troops in the provinces of Kermanshah, Hamedan and Ilam.
During the 2022 protests, Kermanshah province has seen violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces, including the IRGC. As commander of the regional IRGC headquarters for the IRGC troops engaged in this region, he is responsible for the IRGC violence against protestors in Kermanshah province.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




169.


NILFRUSHAN Abbas Mortaza
نیلفروشان عباس مرتاضا
a.k.a. NILFOROUSHAN Abbas; NILFOROUSHAN DARDASHTI Abbas; NILFOROUSHAN DARDASHTI Abbas; NILFOROUSHAN Abbas; NILFRUSHAN DARDASHTI Abbas Mortaza
نیلفروشان دردشتی عباس


DOB: 23.8.1966
POB: Isfahan, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Passport no: P46631463 (Iran)
Function: deputy commander for operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


Abbas Nilfrushan is the deputy commander for operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and responsible for the IRGC Operations Command, one of the security organisations directly in charge of protest suppression.
In this capacity, he has framed the 2022 civil grassroots protest movement as a terrorist movement and a direct security threat to Iran, thereby legitimising the harsh response to the peaceful protests.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




170.


MOEIN Moslem
مسلم معین


DOB: 22.9.1985
POB: Eslamabad, Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
National ID no: 3341588477 (Iran)
Address: Part 7, Block 25, Ground Floor, 16th Street, Sarvestan Street, Chaghamirza Phase 2 Shahid Mehrabi, Kermanshah, Iran
Function: head of the Basji Resistance Force (Basij) Cyberspace Headquarters


Moslem Moein is a senior official in the EU-listed Basij Resistance Force (Basij), the infamous volunteer paramilitary organisation operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with branches throughout Iran.
The Basij has played a key role in the regime’s deadly crackdown on the protests that have swept the country since September 2022. As chief of the Basij Cyberspace Headquarters, Moein oversees efforts to control and censor Iranians’ online activities. He has spoken publicly about the Basij’s priority of monitoring Iranians’ use of the internet. Additionally, Moein has advocated for the development of Iran’s national intranet, which could allow the regime to disconnect Iran from the global internet. The Iranian government continues to filter and block the free flow of information in Iran.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




171.


KARAMI Mohammad
محمد کرمی


DOB: 27.1.1966
POB: Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Rank: Brigadier General
Passport no: K50849392 (Iran), expires 23.9.2024
Function: Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters Quds for Sistan and Baluchestan province and Kerman province


Brigadier General Mohammad Karami is the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) headquarters Quds, which commands IRGC troops in Sistan and Baluchestan province and Kerman province.
Sistan and Baluchestan province has seen some of the most violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces, including the IRGC, during the 2022 protests. On 30 September 2022, the provincial capital Zahedan witnessed “bloody Friday”, when security forces opened fire on a protest forming in Zahedan around Friday prayer, using live ammunition. At least 70 protestors were shot and killed. Since then, violence against participants in later protests has continued. As commander of the regional IRGC headquarters for the IRGC troops engaged in this region, Karami is responsible for the IRGC’s violence against protestors in Sistan and Baluchestan province, in particular around “bloody Friday”.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




172.


JAVIDAN Ali Akbar
جاویدان علی اکبر


DOB: 21.3.1967
POB: Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: commander of the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) in Kermanshah province


Ali Akbar Javidan has been the commander of the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) in Kermanshah province since June 2019.
In this capacity, he is responsible for ordering the violent reaction of the LEF to the 2022 protests in Kermanshah. He is also responsible for ensuring the LEF’s strict implementation of morality policies that severely violate human rights, including through the active repression of women who do not comply with headscarf codes. He is also responsible for the LEF’s arrests of women during the July 2022 protests. He is responsible for violence, discrimination, cruel and degrading behaviour, and arbitrary detention of women.
He is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




173.


AZARPENDAR Abbas
آذرپندار عباس


POB: Iran
Nationality: Iranian
Gender: male
Function: CEO of Radis Vira Tejarat Co; regional manager in Iran for Tiandy Technologies


Abbas Azarpendar is the CEO of Radis Vira Tejarat Co, which is a key intermediary in Iran, providing some of the most advanced surveillance equipment to the Iranian government.
During the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in mid-September 2022, Radis Vira Tejarat Co’s equipment has been used by the Iranian security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Basij and the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF), to brutally suppress the nationwide protests, leading to the torture or death of at least 516 protestors, including at least 70 children.
Azarpendar is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023’





Entities










 


Name


Identifying information


Reasons


Date of listing




‘13.


Ravin Academy
آکادمی راوین


Place of registration: Tehran, Iran
Date of registration: 2019
Registration number: 49135
Principal place of business: Second Floor, No 36, Naqdi Street, North Sohrevardi Street, Shahid Ghandi-Niloufar Neighbourhood, Tehran, Iran


Ravin Academy is an Iran-based cyber security company which provides cyber security education and training in both defensive and offensive fields as well as hacker training.
In addition, Ravin Academy operates on behalf of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and supports them in recruiting hackers.
Hackers trained at the Ravin Academy have been involved in directly disrupting the communication of those protesting against the Iranian regime, thereby repressing the protests.
Therefore, Ravin Academy is responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




14.


Samane Gostar Sahab Pardaz Private Limited Company
شرکت سامان گستر سحاب پرداز با مسئولیت محدود
a.k.a. Sahab Pardaz
سحاب پرداز


Place of registration: Tehran, Iran
Principal place of business:
Tehran, No 22, Khorramshahr Street
Tehran, North Shohvardi Street, Korramshahr Street, Number 24, Floor 1


Samane Gostar Sahab Pardaz Private Limited Company is an Iran-based company providing social-media filtering services.
It is engaged in censorship and surveillance activities for the Government of Iran, including during the 2022 protests, that prohibit, limit or penalise the exercise of freedom of expression or assembly by citizens of Iran, or that limit access to print or broadcast media.
Samane Gostar Sahab Pardaz Private Limited Company is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




15.


Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA)
ارتباطات و مقررات تنظیم سازمان رادیویی

a.k.a. Communication Regulation Authority (CRA)


Place of registration: Tehran, Iran
Associated entity: Iranian Ministry for Information and Communications Technology (ICT)


The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) is under the authority of the Iranian Ministry for Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The CRA enforces the Iranian government’s requirements to filter internet content through a spyware called SIAM.
During the 2022 protests, the CRA used its control of internet access and mobile phones to track protestors and create a detailed picture of dissidents’ and protesters’ activities for the authorities to use at their will. The CRA is therefore responsible for supporting the repression of peaceful demonstrators, journalists, human rights defenders, students or other persons who speak up in defence of their legitimate rights.
The CRA is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




16.


Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil
ستاد امر به معروف و نهی از منکر
a.k.a. Office for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil; Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice; Setad-PV
ستاد پو


Type of entity: government institution
Place of registration: Iran
Principal place of business: Iran
Associated individuals: GOLPAYEGANI Seyyed Mohammed Saleh Hashemi, head of the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil
Other associated entities: Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF)


The Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil is a government institution, responsible for determining and enforcing excessively strict behavioural models in society.
In 2022, the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil was instrumental in setting new and stricter morality codes for women that are in clear violation of their human rights. Additionally, the Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil plays a central role in setting up the monitoring and often brutal sanctioning of women and men who do not respect these codes. These strict codes are subsequently brutally enforced by the EU-listed Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) (and specifically its Morality Police).
The Headquarters for Enjoining Right and Forbidding Evil is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




17.


Imen Sanat Zaman Fara Company
شرکت ایمن صنعت زمان فرا


Address: Shahrak-e-Jafar Abad-e-Jangal Rd, Naseriyeh, Tehran, Iran;
Number 16, Kolezar alley, Farsian Street, Shahid Rezaiee Street, Azadegan Autobahn, Tehran, Iran;
Number 16, Gholshan 14, Golestan Boulevard, Negarestan Boulevard, Sham Abad, Tehran, Iran
Type of entity: private company
Place of registration: Iran
Date of registration: 2010
National ID no: 103201991293 (Iran)
Business registration no: 369541 (Iran)
Principal place of business: Iran
Associated individuals: Mohammad Zandi Aliabadi, chairman of the Board of directors;
Hossein Zandi Aliabadi, Vice chairman of the Board of directors;
Fatemeh Haghshenas, CEO
Other associated entities: Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF)


Imen Sanat Zaman Fara Company is an Iranian company manufacturing and importing security equipment for Iranian security forces.
Its equipment is used by Iranian security forces to violently suppress peaceful protests, including the protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022, leading to the torture or death of at least 516 protestors, including at least 70 children.
Imen Sanat Zaman Fara Company is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




18.


Iranian Special Police Forces
نیروی ویژه پاد وحشت
a.k.a. NOPO; Iran’s Counter-Terror Special Forces; Niroo-ye Vizhe Pasdar-e Velayat; Supreme Leader's Guardian Special Forces; Provincial Special Forces; Special Counter-Terrorism Force


Address: Iran
Type of entity: police force
Place of registration: Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Associated individuals: Mohsen Ebrahimi (Commander)
Other associated entities: Iran’s Special Unit Forces, Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF)


The Iranian Special Police Forces (NOPO) are a subdivision of Iran’s Special Unit Forces and the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF). NOPO is a highly trained, specialised unit often called upon to dissolve protests.
During the 2022 protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, NOPO used excessive violence and lethal force against unarmed protestors, including women and children, e.g. by firing automatic weapons at protestors.
The Iranian Special Police Forces (NOPO) are therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




19.


Radis Vira Tejarat Co
شرکت رادیس ویرا تجارت


Address: Tehran, Pasdaran St., West Gilan St., No 5, Unit 1, Corner of Mohed Dou Alley
Type of entity: physical security provider, private enterprise
Principal place of business: Iran
Associated individuals: Abbas Azarpendar, CEO of Radis Vira Tejarat Co and regional manager in Iran for Tiandy Technologies
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF) (customers), Pars Ertebat Afzar Co (distributor)


Radis Vira Tejarat Co is the Iranian representative of the company Tiandy Technologies. The close ties between the companies are illustrated by the fact that the CEO of Radis Vira Tejarat Co, Abbas Azarpendar, is also regional manager in Iran for Tiandy Technologies. Radis Vira Tejarat Co is a key intermediary in Iran providing some of the most advanced surveillance equipment to the Iranian government.
During the protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in mid-September 2022, its equipment has been used by the Iranian security forces, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its Basij and the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (LEF), to brutally suppress the nationwide protests, leading to the torture or death of at least 516 protestors, including at least 70 children.
Radis Vira Tejarat Co is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




20.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Shohada in West Azerbaijan
شهداء
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: West Azerbaijan, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: West Azerbaijan, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Shohada operates in the province of West-Azerbaijan.
EU-listed Brigadier General Habib Shahsavari is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, the IRGC Regional Corps Shohada conducted operations against protesters in the Kurdish regions of Iran. In particular, commencing 15 November 2022, such operations were conducted against protesters in the West Azerbaijan towns of Piranshahr, Mahabad and Bukan. IRGC troops have used disproportionate force in these operations. IRGC operations in the towns of Mahabad and Bukan have killed at least four and 12 people, respectively, since 15 November 2022.
The IRGC Regional Corps Shohada is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




21.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Hazrat Nabi Akram in Kermanshah
حضرت نبی اکرم
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Kermanshah, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Kermanshah, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Hazrat Nabi Akram operates in the province of Kermanshah.
EU-listed Brigadier General Bahman Reyhani is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, Kermanshah province has seen violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces, including the IRGC.
The IRGC Regional Corps Hazrat Nabi Akram is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




22.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Quds in Gilan
قدس
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Gilan, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Gilan, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Quds operates in the province of Gilan.
EU-listed Brigadier General Mohammad Abdollahpour is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, Gilan province has seen violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces, including the IRGC.
The IRGC Regional Corps Quds is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




23.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Karbala in Mazandaran
کربلای
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Mazandaran, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Mazandaran, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Karbala operates in the province of Mazandaran.
EU-listed Brigadier General Siavash Moslemi is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, the entity conducted operations against protesters in Mazandaran province. In those operations, it used disproportionate force and violence against protesters.
The IRGC Regional Corps Karbala is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




24.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Seyyed al-Shohada in Tehran province
الشهداء سید
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Tehran, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Tehran, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Seyyed al-Shohada operates in the province of Tehran.
EU-listed Brigadier General Ahmad Zulqadr is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, the violent repression of protests in Tehran province by Iranian security forces, including by the IRGC, has been particularly strong and excessive.
The IRGC Regional Corps Seyyed al-Shohada is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




25.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base Karbala
کربلا
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Southwest Iran (provinces of Khusestan, Lorestan, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad)
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Operational Base (regional headquarters) Karbala operates in Southwest Iran, covering the provinces of Khusestan, Lorestan, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad.
EU-listed Brigadier General Ahmad Kadem is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, the entity conducted operations against protesters, in particular in the provinces of Khusestan and Lorestan, including in the town of Khorramabad in Lorestan. During those operations, IRGC troops used disproportionate force, using live ammunition against protesters.
The IRGC Operational Base Karbala is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




26.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base Quds
قدس
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base Quds is the IRGC’s regional headquarters in the southeast of Iran and oversees Kerman province and Sistan and Baluchestan province.
EU-listed Brigadier General Mohammad Karami is the commander of this entity.
Sistan and Baluchestan province has seen some of the most violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces, including the IRGC, during the 2022 protests. On 30 September 2022, the provincial capital Zahedan witnessed “bloody Friday”, when security forces opened fire on a protest forming in Zahedan around Friday prayer, using live ammunition. At least 70 protestors were shot and killed. Since then, violence against participants in later protests has continued.
The IRGC Operational Base Quds is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




27.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base Najaf-e-Ashraf
الاشرف نجف
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Operational Base (regional headquarters) Najaf-e-Ashraf oversees the provinces of Kermanshah, Hamedan and Ilam.
EU-listed Brigadier General Mohammad Nazar Azimi is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, Kermanshah province has seen violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces, including the IRGC.
The IRGC Operational Base Najaf-e-Ashraf is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




28.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Valiasr in Khuzestan
عصر ولی
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Khuzestan, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Khuzestan, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Valiasr operates in the province of Khuzestan.
EU-listed Brigadier General Hassan Shahvarpour is the commander of this entity.
The IRGC Regional Corps Valiasr is responsible for massacres of protesters in Khuzestan in November 2020. In addition, in the course of the 2022 protests in Iran, it has conducted operations against protesters in particular in the town of Izeh. IRGC troops have used disproportionate force in these operations, leading to the killing of protesters.
The IRGC Regional Corps Valiasr is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




29.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Hazrat Abufazl in Lorestan
حضرت ابوالفضل
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Lorestan, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Lorestan, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Hazrat Abufazl operates in the province of Lorestan.
During the 2022 protests, it conducted operations against protesters in the Kurdish regions of Iran. In particular, operations were conducted in the town of Khorramabad in Lorestan. IRGC troops used disproportionate force in these operations, using live ammunition against protesters.
The IRGC Regional Corps Hazrat Abufazl is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




30.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Beit-al-Moqadas in Kurdistan
المقدس بيت
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Kurdistan, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Kurdistan, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Beit-al-Moqadas operates in the province of Kurdistan.
EU-listed Brigadier General Sadegh Hosseini is the commander of this entity.
During the 2022 protests, this entity conducted operations against protesters in the Kurdish regions of Iran. In particular, commencing 15 November 2022, such operations were conducted against protesters in the Kurdistan towns and West Azerbaijan towns of Sanandaj, Kamyaran and Saqqez. IRGC troops used disproportionate force in these operations. IRGC operations in the towns of Sanandaj, Kamyaran and Saqqez have killed at least seven, two and two people, respectively, since 15 November 2022.
The IRGC Regional Corps Beit-al-Moqadas is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023




31.


Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Salaman in Sistan and Baluchestan
سلمان
سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی


Address: Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran
Type of entity: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military unit
Place of registration: Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran
Principal place of activity: Iran
Other associated entities: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)


The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Regional Corps Salaman oversees the province of Sistan and Baluchestan.
EU-listed Brigadier General Amanollah Garshasbi is the commander of this entity.
Sistan and Baluchestan has seen some of the most violent crackdown by Iranian security forces, including the IRGC, during the 2022 protests. On 30 September 2022, the provincial capital Zahedan witnessed “bloody Friday”, when security forces opened fire on a protest forming in Zahedan around Friday prayer, using live ammunition. At least 70 protestors were shot and killed. Since then, violence against protesters has continued.
The IRGC Regional Corps Salaman is therefore responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.


23.1.2023’