The European Parliament on Wednesday voted to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for leading a “deadly crackdown” on Iranian protesters.
The Vote
The resolution was voted for by 598 lawmakers, while nine were against it, and 31 abstained. The parliament called on the EU to impose new sanctions on the IRGC and its branches, including the Basij and Quds forces. It also reiterated that the bloc should not lift existing sanctions on Iran.
The #EuropeanParliament overwhelmingly votes in favour of designating the entire #IRGC as a terrorist organization. #Iran #EU pic.twitter.com/bR7ewo8o6K
— Dr. Cinzia Bianco (@Cinzia_Bianco) January 18, 2023
Despite an overwhelming majority of Members of the European Parliament (MEP) voting for listing the IRGC as a terrorist entity, lawmakers have no power to make a final decision. The European Council would have to make the final call.
The Resolution
The resolution, introduced on Monday by 17 MEPs, blamed the IRGC and its branches for:
- Violently suppressing protesters and critics using live fire, metal pellets, tear gas, and water cannons
- Disproportionately targeting minority groups such as the Baluch people and Kurds
- Employing gender-based and sexual violence against women and girls
Accordingly, it called on the EU to classify the IRGC as a terrorist organisation and increase support for protesters by providing asylum and visa support. The resolution further urged the UN to establish an independent fact-finding mission to probe the ongoing protests and hold the Iranian regime accountable for the “killing of its own people.”
Support for the Resolution
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen welcomed the vote, calling it an “important step in the fight against the Iranian regime.” He said: “Iran exports terrorism to the entire world, and the Revolutionary Guards are the largest terrorist organisation in the world.”
Also Read | Removing the IRGC From the Terror List Would be a Colossal Blunder by the US
Israel has repeatedly asked Western countries to designate the IRGC as a terrorist group, not to loosen sanctions on Iran, and avoid renewing the 2015 nuclear deal as it views Tehran as an “existential threat.”
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington sees “eye-to-eye” with its European counterparts, noting that “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism.” He vowed that the US and Europe would cooperate to “counter threats posed by the IRGC.”
Also Read | UK to Declare Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as Terrorist Group
Before the vote, European Council President Ursula von der Leyen said she supported listing the IRGC as a terrorist group, accusing the paramilitary organisation of “trampling” the fundamental human rights of protesters.
Iran Protests
Anti-regime protests erupted across Iran in mid-September in the wake of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini’s arrest, and subsequent death, at the hands of Iran’s morality police, for not wearing her hijab correctly. Amini was brutally tortured and died while receiving treatment at an intensive care unit of the Kasra hospital in Tehran.
Daily Statistics on Iran Protests
— HRANA English (@HRANA_English) January 18, 2023
For details and more statistics, read HRANA's report:https://t.co/AO1LLop5by#Iran#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/nVUNWLephE
Nationwide demonstrations have continued to spread for almost four months. According to an estimate, at least 525 protesters, including 71 children, have been killed by security forces.