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EU sanctions 32 Iranians for rights abuses

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks to the media during a press conference in presidential palace in Tehran, Iran on April 4, 2011. UPI/Maryam Rahmanian
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks to the media during a press conference in presidential palace in Tehran, Iran on April 4, 2011. UPI/Maryam Rahmanian | License Photo

TEHRAN, April 14 (UPI) -- The European Union voted Thursday to impose travel bans and other sanctions against nearly three dozen Iranian officials accused of human rights abuses.

The sanctions -- meant to name and shame individuals rather than hurt the Iran's general population -- also freeze the 32 individuals' assets in European Union nations, The Washington Post reported.

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Included on the list of police officials, judges and prison wardens is Judge Abdolghassem Salavati, who sentenced several people to death after they allegedly participated in anti-government demonstrations following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's win in the country's disputed 2009 presidential election.

"These European sanctions are an important step in holding individual human rights violators accountable in Iran," said Marietje Schaake, a member of the European Union Parliament who led the drive for the new restrictions.

The U.S. State Department imposed similar sanctions against eight Iranian officials in September.

The European Union earlier enacted similar sanctions against people with key roles in Iran's nuclear program.

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