Scholz announces more Iran sanctions

The European Union will increase sanctions pressure on Iran next week over the latter’s brutal crackdown on domestic protests.

Germany’s Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz said this in Saturday's Kanzler Kompakt podcast, Ukrinform reports.

"Words alone are not enough for this cruelty and disregard for human life. That's why we're taking action. The European Union has already introduced several packages of sanctions. The main focus is on those responsible for this violence against their own people. Further sanctions will be added next week. We want to continue increasing the pressure on the Revolutionary Guard Corps and political leadership," the German chancellor said.

Berlin supports efforts to gather evidence so that those responsible can be held accountable. According to Scholz, it is planned to convene a special session of the UN Committee on Human Rights on the topic of investigating the crimes of the Iranian regime. Iran is a member of the United Nations and has pledged to uphold and protect human rights, a yardstick by which the world judges the actions of the Iranian leadership, the chancellor said.

"The Iranian government is responsible for the current outbreak of violence," the head of the German government emphasized.

He has also recalled that Iran supplies Russia with drones that attack Ukrainian cities and kill civilians.

"All this is absolutely unacceptable. We call for an immediate end to the violence. We call for the release of political prisoners and journalists," said Scholz. He added that threats Iran's foreign minister voiced against Germany over its stance will not sway Berlin in its support for the Iranian people.

As reported, the death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained by the "morality police", has led to more and more people taking to the streets in Iranian cities. More than 300 protesters have already been killed, while over 14,000 have been arrested, with dozens of death sentences announced for participation in protests.