War in Ukraine, protests: Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta unveils new sanctions against Iranians

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has unveiled new sanctions against Iranian individuals. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Government has announced a swathe of sanctions against Iranians in its latest round of sanctions relating to the war in Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has also expanded the list of people subject to travel bans to include people responsible for the violent response to protests in Iran.

The Government’s Russia sanctions legislation allows it to sanction individuals involved with the invasion of Ukraine, whether they are Russian or not.

Iran has provided assistance to Russia’s war effort in the form of drones which are being launched against Ukrainian infrastructure.

“New Zealand condemns all individuals and entities supporting Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” Mahuta said.

“Iran’s supply and manufacture of drones to Russia threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. These drones are targeting civilians and vital infrastructure, causing suffering and devastation for the Ukrainian people.

“In order to place pressure on Russia’s war machine, we are sanctioning a further eight Iranian individuals and entities. They will be subject to asset freezes, travel bans and have restrictions on commercial activity with anyone in New Zealand,” Mahuta said.

The list of sanctioned people includes Head of Supply, Research and Industrial Affairs Division at the Iranian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics, the Commander of the Iranian Air Force, and companies responsible for the manufacture of drones.

Mahuta expanded the number on the travel ban list from 22 people to 37.

New Zealand can implement a travel ban against people associated with the protest crackdown, but it is unable to roll out sanctions on them like in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

This is because New Zealand’s only autonomous sanctions regime relates to the Ukrainian invasion. Other sanctions need to go through the United Nations process, where they will almost certainly be vetoed in the Security Council.

New Zealand has now sanctioned five Iranian entities and seven Iranian individuals associated with Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“Today’s sanctions against Iran follow separate measures that we are taking in response to human rights violations in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death,” Mahuta said.

She said New Zealand was “appalled” by the use of force by Iranian authorities in response to the protests.

“Banned individuals include members of the Iranian Judiciary who oversee executions in Iran, the Morality Police, the Law Enforcement Command, and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” she said.

People on the list are not allowed to enter New Zealand or even transit through the county.

She said New Zealand continued to call on Iran to “immediately stop the violation of human rights of Iranians, including by commuting all death penalty sentences that have been imposed”.

The following are subject to a travel ban:

• Hossein Salami, Commander in Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
• Gholom-Reza Soleimani, Head of the Basij Organisation
• Mohammad Kazemi, Commander of the Intelligence Bureau, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
• Hossein Ashtari, Chief Commander of the Law Enforcement Command
• Hassan Karami, Commander of the Police Special Forces (Riot Police)
• Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, Head of Guidance Patrol, Law Enforcement Command (Morality Police)
• Hossein Rahimi, Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces in Tehran
• Haj Ahmed Mirzaei, Head of Guidance Patrol, Law Enforcement Command (Morality Police) in Tehran
• Salar Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij Resistance Force
• Qasem Rezaei, Deputy Commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command
• Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, Head of the Iranian Cyber Police
• Abbas Abdi, Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command in Divandarreh district
• Hasan Hassanzadeh, Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran province
• Manouchehr Amanollahi, Head of the Law Enforcement Command in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province
• Hossein Maroufi, Deputy Head of Mobilisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Sistan and Baluchestan province
• Ahmad Taheri, Head of the Law Enforcement Command in Sistan and Baluchestan province
• Seyed Sadegh Hosseini, Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Kurdistan province
• Hossein Rajabpour, Head of the Beit al-Moqasas force in Sanandaj city
• Gholamhossein Mohammadi Asl, Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Arbabil province
• Morteza Mir Aghaei, Head of the Basij Resistence Force in Sanandaj city
• Abbas-Ali Mohammadian, Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Command in Alborz province
• Mahmoud Saadati, Head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Services in Zahedan city.
• Iman Afshari, Presiding Judge of Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court
• Mohammad-Reza Amouzad-Khalili, Presiding Judge of Branch 28 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court
• Allah-Karam Azizi, Head/Warden of Gohar-Dasht Prison
• Ali Mazloum, Presiding judge of Branch 29 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran
• Ali Al-Qasi Mehr, Prosecutor General of Tehran
• Ali Chaharmahali, Director General of Prisons for Alborz Province