Iran's Foreign Ministry slammed the EU's new sanctions on its officials, calling the move the 'banality of evil' and accusing the bloc of hypocrisy. The EU imposed the restrictive measures over alleged serious human rights violations.
Iran Slams EU's 'Banality of Evil'
Iran on Saturday slammed the European Union over its latest sanctions against Iranian officials over alleged human rights violations, accusing the bloc of hypocrisy and describing its approach as the "banality of evil."
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei made the remarks in a post on X after European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas announced new restrictive measures against Iranian judges accused of serious human rights violations and a cyber official allegedly linked to repression of information.
Responding to Kallas' statement, Baqaei questioned the EU's human rights stance and accused the bloc of overlooking what Tehran described as attacks against Iranian civilians. "Kaja Kallas speaks of the European Union's 'human rights concerns' regarding Iran. How can a professed commitment to human rights be so easily reconciled with providing logistical and technical support for lethal aggressions against the Iranian people -- aggressions that deliberately target civilians and critical national infrastructure?" Baqaei said.
He further accused the EU of failing to condemn alleged war crimes and claimed that the bloc had not expressed sympathy for Iranian children killed in strikes by the US and Israel. "All while refusing to condemn even the most blatant war crimes, and offering not a single word of sympathy for Iranian children slaughtered by American-Israeli bombs and missiles enabled by the EU's own 'logistical and technical support,'" the Iranian spokesperson added.
Baqaei further criticised the EU's position, saying, "This is not merely a loss of credibility. It is the banality of evil -- and the purest form of hypocrisy."
EU Cites Repression for Sanctions
Earlier on Friday, Kallas said the European Union had imposed new restrictive measures on Iranian officials over alleged rights violations. "While the world's attention is on the war in the Middle East, we can't lose sight of Iran's repression against its own people. Today, the EU imposed new restrictive measures on Iranian judges responsible for serious human rights violations, including the persecution of political dissidents and religious minorities," Kallas said in a post on X.
"We also sanctioned a leading figure of a cyber group who enabled the regime's repression of information. As Tehran intensifies its domestic crackdown, the EU will continue to hold those responsible to account," she added.
The exchange reflects continued tensions between Tehran and Brussels over human rights concerns, sanctions and broader geopolitical issues in West Asia. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
