UK Adds 8 to Iran Sanctions Regime

The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation in an Oct. 10 notice added seven people and one entity to its Iran (Human Rights) sanctions regime. The individuals are: Hossein Ashtari, commander in chief of Iran's police forces; Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, head of the morality police; Hassan Karami, a police commander; Haj Ahmad Mirzaei, head of the Terhan morality police division; Hassan Shahvarpour, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Khuzestan Province; Gholamreza Soleimani, head of the IRGC Basij Organization; and Leila Vaseghi, former governor of Shahr-e Qods. OFSI also designated the Iran Morality Police, which it says "are or have been involved in the commission of serious human rights violations in Iran." The additions come after Iran's violation of human rights in its response to protests over mandatory dress codes for women and similar sanctions imposed by the U.S. (see 2209220029).