EU slaps sanctions on five Iranian judges and cyber group founder over human rights abuses

The European Union has sanctioned five Iranian judges and the founder of a cyber group, adding to a growing list of individuals targeted over systematic human rights violations in the country. A broader crackdown on Iran’s repressive machinery On March 16, 2026, the EU sanctioned an additional 16 individuals and 3 entities, a group that included judiciary members and an IT company involved in deploying surveillance tools during protests that erupted in January 2026. The EU responded by renewing its entire human rights sanctions regime against Iran on March 30, 2026, extending it until April 13, 2027. The measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and export restrictions on equipment that could be used for internal repression. Prior rounds have already targeted Iran’s Prosecutor General and members of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace. The EU’s sanctions regime against Iran for human rights violations dates back to 2011. The intensity has ratcheted up dramatically since the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police. The cyber dimension matters more than it looks Sanctions targeting judiciary members for arbitrary detentions date back...