EU Yet To Decide On New Sanctions Against Iran For Amini's Death - Spokesman

The European Commission has not decided whether it will impose new sanctions against Iran due to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, as it hopes the situation will have little impact on talks on the Iranian nuclear deal, EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said on Friday

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2022) The European Commission has not decided whether it will impose new sanctions against Iran due to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, as it hopes the situation will have little impact on talks on the Iranian nuclear deal, EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said on Friday.

On Thursday, the US sanctioned Iran's Morality Police and seven senior security officials for the death of Amini after being detained for not wearing hijab and the subsequent violence toward Iranians participating in protests against her death, the Treasury Department said.

"We are closely watching the developments in Iran, following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, and hoping for an objective investigation. We have taken note that our partner (the US) made decision based on its own criteria and laws. I want to remind you that we already have a sanctions regime for the violation of human rights," Stano said during a briefing on Friday.

The spokesman also added that he insisted not to connect the domestic situation in Iran with negotiations on the Iranian nuclear deal, which have gained momentum recently, as Iran presented its response to the draft agreement in late August, with the EU noting the constructiveness of Iran's reaction.

On September 13, Amini was detained by Iran's controversial morality police in Tehran for wearing an "improper" hijab, an offense punishable by prison. The woman was sent to one of the centers belonging to the police department and military intelligence for an explanatory conversation. In the center, Amini had a heart attack, after which she was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. Three days later, on September 16, the young woman passed away.

Many Iranian citizens accused the morality police of Amini's death, suggesting that law enforcement officers had beaten her on the head. People in different cities of the country launched a series of mass protests. Moreover, some Iranian women published videos on social media that showed them cutting their hair, as well as burning hijabs and rusari kerchiefs, which they are obliged to wear on their heads.

On September 17, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi ordered a special investigation into the case and expressed condolences to Amini's family.