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Financial Sanctions: Iran (Human Rights)

Monday, 10 October 2022

This news release is issued to publicise the addition of 8 entries under the Iran (Human Rights) Sanctions Regime.

The Iran (Sanctions) (Human Rights) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/134) were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the commission of serious human rights violations or abuse in Iran. The Iran (Sanctions) (Human Rights) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 have effect in the Isle of Man by the Iran Sanctions (Human Rights) (Application) Regulations 2020 [S.D. 2020/0472].

On 10 October 2022 the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated the UK Sanctions List.  This list provides details of those designated under sanctions legislation.

ADDITIONS

  • The following entries have been added to the consolidated list and are now subject to an asset freeze:

1.        Hossein ASHTARI (Group ID: 15602)

Title: Brigadier General DOB: --/--/1959. POB: Isfahan, Iran Nationality: Iran Position: Commander in Chief of Iran’s Police Forces Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0089 (UK Statement of Reasons):Hossein ASHTARI is or has been involved in the commission of a serious human rights violation or abuse in Iran as Commander-inChief of Iran’s Police Forces, involved in the violent repression of protests in Iran in November 2019. (Gender):Male Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 15602.

2.         Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh GACHI (Group ID: 15597)

Name (non-Latin script): گچی چشمه ستمی ر محمد

DOB: (1) --/--/1966. (2) --/--/1967. a.k.a: GACHI, Mohammad (non-Latin script: محمد ستمی ر) Nationality: Iran Position: Head of the Morality Police Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0084 (UK Statement of Reasons):Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi as Head of the Morality Police in Iran is or has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations or abuse in Iran. The Morality Police enforce Iran’s Islamic dress requirements and are known to use unreasonable force against individuals they deem to be non-compliant. In this role Gachi is responsible for and promotes violations of the right to liberty and security and the right to freedom of expression. (Gender):Male Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 15597.

3.         Hassan KARAMI (Group ID: 15600)

Nationality: Iran Position: Commander FARAJA (formerly NAJA) (Police) Special Unit Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0087 (UK Statement of Reasons):There are reasonable grounds to suspect that Hassan KARAMI has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations in Iran, including being responsible for, engaging in and providing support for the violent suppression of protests through his role as Commander of the NAJA (Police) Special Unit. (Gender): Male Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 15600.

4.         Haj Ahmad MIRZAEI (Group ID: 15596)

Name (non-Latin script): میرزا احمد حاج

DOB: 02/09/1957. a.k.a: (1) MIRZAEI, Ahmed (2) MIRZAEI, Hajahmad (3) MIRZAYI, Hajj Ahmad Nationality: Iran Position: Head of the Tehran division of Iran’s Morality Police Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0091 (UK Statement of Reasons):Haj Ahmad Mirzaei as the Head of the Tehran division of Iran’s Morality Police is or has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations or abuse in Iran. The Morality Police enforce Iran’s Islamic dress requirements and are known to use unreasonable force against individuals they deem to be non-compliant. In this role Mirzaei is responsible for and promotes violations of the right to liberty and security and the right to freedom of expression. (Gender): Male Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 1559

5.         Hassan SHAHVARPOUR (Group ID: 15601)

Title: Brigadier General POB: Safi Abad, Dezful, Iran Position: Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Khuzestan Province and Deputy Head of the South-west Karbala Headquarters Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0088 (UK Statement of Reasons):Hassan Shahvarpour (SHAHVARPOUR) is commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Khuzestan Province and Deputy of the South West Karbala Headquarters. In this role SHAHVARPOUR is or has been involved in the commission of a serious human rights violation or abuse in Iran through his role in the violent suppression of protests. Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 15601.

6.         Gholamreza SOLEIMANI (Group ID: 15599)

Title: Brigadier General DOB: (1) --/--/1964. (2) --/--/1965. Nationality: Iran Position: Head of the Basij Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0086 (UK Statement of Reasons):There are reasonable grounds to suspect that Gholamreza SOLEIMANI has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations in Iran, including being responsible for, engaging in and providing support for the violent suppression of protests in Iran through his role as Head of the “Volunteer Forces” (Basij Organisation) and through participating in decisions relating to the conduct of Iranian security forces during the 2019 protests via his position in the National Security Council. (Gender): Male Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 15599.

7.         Leila VASEGHI (Group ID: 15603)

DOB: --/--/1972. POB: Sari, Iran a.k.a: VASEGHI, Leyla Nationality: Iran Address: Tehran, Iran. Position: Former Governor of Shahr-e Qods (Quds) Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0090 (UK Statement of Reasons):Leila Vaseghi is or has been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations in Iran, namely violations of the right to life and to freedom of assembly, through her role as the Governor of Shahr-e Qods during the November 2019 protests in Qods city. (Gender): Female Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 15603.

ENTITY

8.         MORALITY POLICE (Group ID: 15598)

a.k.a: (1) Guidance Patrol (non-Latin script: Gasht-e Ershad) (2) Guidance Patrol (nonLatin script: Gast-e Ersad) (3) Guidance Patrol (non-Latin script: Gašt-e Eršād) (4) Guidance Patrol (non-Latin script: ارشاد گشت) (5) Iran Morality Police (6) Morality Security Police (non-Latin script: Polis-e Amniyat-e Akhlaqi) (7) Morality Security Police (non-Latin script: Polīs-e Amnīyat-e Akhlāqī) (8) Morality Security Police (non-Latin script: اخالقی امنیت پلیس) Address: Vozara Street, corner of 25th Street, District 6, Tehran, Iran. Other Information: (UK Sanctions List Ref):IHR0085 (UK Statement of Reasons):The Morality Police are or have been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations in Iran, including being responsible for, engaging in and promoting violations of the right to liberty and security and the right to freedom of expression through their enforcement of mandatory dress codes for women, including the use of unreasonable force against individuals they deem to be non-compliant. (Type of entity): State Religious Police Force Listed on: 10/10/2022 UK Sanctions List Date Designated: 10/10/2022 Last Updated: 10/10/2022 Group ID: 15598.

What you must do

Financial institutions and other persons are required to check whether you maintain any accounts or otherwise hold funds or economic resources for, or provide financial services to, designated individuals. If so, you must freeze such accounts or other funds and, unless licensed by the Treasury, not deal with those funds or economic resources, make those funds or economic resources available to a designated person, or make those funds or economic resources available for the benefit of a designated person. You must also report your findings to the FIU

Failure to comply with financial and trade sanctions legislation or to attempting to circumvent its provisions is a criminal offence.

Where a relevant institution has already reported details of accounts, other funds or economic resources held frozen for the designated person, you are not required to report these details again.

Further Information

Consequently the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated the Consolidated List. This list provides details of those designated under sanctions legislation.

Further details of the sanctions regime related to Iran (Human Rights) and links to other financial sanctions regimes may be found on the Customs and Excise pages of the Isle of Man Government website.

Issued By

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