Australia Places Sanctions on 5 Iranians, 2 Years After Woman’s Death

The 5 individuals have been complicit in repressing protest, the government says.

The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 3, 2023. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has sanctioned five Iranian individuals the government says have been complicit in violent repressions of protest in Iran.

Wong has used Magnitsky-style laws, which were adopted in Australia in 2021.

Going against individuals, rather than nations, the sanctions are aimed at serious human rights offenders.

The Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Thematic Sanctions) Bill 2021 prevents serious offenders from seeking safe haven in foreign countries, for their family members, or for their assets.

Wong announced the move on Sept. 16, the second anniversary of the incarceration and death in custody of Mahsa Jina Amini, a 23-year-old Iranian woman arrested in Tehran for opposing mandatory hijab laws.

Amini had been known to favour her native Kurdish clothing for special events, and only half-heartedly wore the hijab when travelling to tourist areas.

She was arrested by Iran’s moral security officers before being handed over to police in Tehran. She died of severe physical injuries.

Her death would go on to spark widespread protests in Iran against the nation’s strict laws.

“Mahsa Jina Amini’s death galvanised months of protests in Iran, which were brutally quashed by Iranian security forces,” Wong said in a statement.

“The individuals sanctioned today include senior security and law enforcement officials who have been complicit in the violent repression of protests in Iran.”

Candles and pictures of Mahsa Amini are placed at a memorial during a candlelight vigil for Mahsa Amini who died in custody of Iran's morality police, in Los Angeles, on Sept. 29, 2022. Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images

Wong said the human rights situation was dire in Iran for girls and women, with a new campaign launched by Iran this year to enforce mandatory hijab laws through increased surveillance and harassment.

Female human rights activists continue to be incarcerated and killed.

The most recent sanctions bring Australia’s total number of sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities to 195, with almost 100 linked to the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“These sanctions illustrate the Government’s commitment to holding Iran to account for human rights violations and other destabilising activities,” Wong said.

“Australia stands with Iranian women and girls in their struggle for equality and empowerment.”

The Iranian government recently expressed outrage after Australian Ambassador to Iran Ian McConville shared a photo to his Instagram account in support of Wear It Purple Day—a day celebrating the LGBT community.

State media reported that authorities felt the post “promoted homosexuality,” which is illegal in Iran.

The value of Australia’s two-way goods and services trade with Iran was valued at $236 million (US$158 million) in the 2022-23 financial year.

Traditionally, Iran has been one of Australia’s leading wheat export destinations, and other primary exports include wool and meat.