Official Dismisses U.S. Sanctions on Iranian Judges
TEHRAN (Dispatches) -- A top Iranian constitutional official on Friday dismissed the imposition of U.S. sanctions on Iranian judges and hit back at the United States over police violence against black people there.
The United States on Thursday blacklisted several Iranian officials and entities over alleged rights breaches, including slapping sanctions on a judge it said was involved in the case of a murderer sentenced to death.
The move was criticized by Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesman for the Guardian Council, which vets legislation passed by parliament for compliance with the constitution.
"Would the Iranian judiciary be able to impose similar sanctions on the killers of blacks in that country who torture them upon arrest and kill them without trial?” he tweeted in Farsi.
He was referring to the May 25 killing of George Floyd in the American city of Minneapolis after a white officer detaining him knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes with fellow officers beside him.
Those sanctioned on Thursday include Iranian Judge Seyyed Mahmoud Sadati, who reportedly oversaw the trial of Navid Afkari, executed this month for the fatal stabbing of a security guard during Western-backed riots in 2018.
Another judge, Muhammad Soltani, was also slapped with sanctions that include asset freezes and banning Americans from doing business with the targets.
Earlier this week, Washington imposed sanctions on Iran’s defense ministry and others involved in its nuclear and conventional weapons program after falsely claiming that all UN sanctions against Tehran were restored.
The United States on Thursday blacklisted several Iranian officials and entities over alleged rights breaches, including slapping sanctions on a judge it said was involved in the case of a murderer sentenced to death.
The move was criticized by Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesman for the Guardian Council, which vets legislation passed by parliament for compliance with the constitution.
"Would the Iranian judiciary be able to impose similar sanctions on the killers of blacks in that country who torture them upon arrest and kill them without trial?” he tweeted in Farsi.
He was referring to the May 25 killing of George Floyd in the American city of Minneapolis after a white officer detaining him knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes with fellow officers beside him.
Those sanctioned on Thursday include Iranian Judge Seyyed Mahmoud Sadati, who reportedly oversaw the trial of Navid Afkari, executed this month for the fatal stabbing of a security guard during Western-backed riots in 2018.
Another judge, Muhammad Soltani, was also slapped with sanctions that include asset freezes and banning Americans from doing business with the targets.
Earlier this week, Washington imposed sanctions on Iran’s defense ministry and others involved in its nuclear and conventional weapons program after falsely claiming that all UN sanctions against Tehran were restored.