HÁWAR.help calls on EU to sanction Iranian officials for human rights violations
Hengaw – Wednesday, July 23, 2025
The Germany-based human rights organization HÁWAR.help has submitted a documented list of 50 judicial and security officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. These individuals have been identified as playing a central role in the systematic and egregious violations of human rights in Iran. The organization’s goal is to trigger targeted sanctions by the European Union against these individuals, including travel bans and asset freezes.
According to the published information, the list is the result of extensive investigation, verification, and legal documentation regarding the direct or indirect involvement of these officials in suppressing protests, carrying out arbitrary arrests, engaging in acts of torture, and issuing unfair sentences against political prisoners and protesters. This initiative is part of HÁWAR.help’s broader efforts to pursue international accountability for human rights violators in Iran.
HÁWAR.help stated that the individuals on this list have been “conclusively implicated in serious human rights crimes in Iran.” The compiled dossier includes substantial evidence of both direct and indirect responsibility for repression, detentions, torture, and the issuing of sentences against political opponents and demonstrators.
HÁWAR.help described the action as “a tangible contribution to accountability and justice for the victims of the Islamic Republic.” According to the organization, these goals can be realized through the application of EU sanctions, including entry bans to Europe and the freezing of financial assets.
Mariam Claren, head of the Iran section at HÁWAR.help and daughter of former political prisoner Nahid Taghavi, stated: “Each of these individuals is responsible for endless suffering. It is time for Europe to take clear action and stand firmly with the victims.”
HÁWAR.help was established in response to the historical experience of the Yazidi genocide in Iraq. Its work centers on supporting victims of human rights abuses in several countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq. A key focus of the organization is the documentation of rights violations in Iran and the pursuit of legal accountability for perpetrators on the international level.
Hengaw fully supports this legal and political action, viewing it as a necessary and impactful step in the fight against the structural impunity of those responsible for repression in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In Hengaw’s view, any coordinated, evidence-based international effort aimed at achieving justice, preventing the recurrence of atrocities, and amplifying the voices of victims and survivors is an essential part of the human rights struggle against a state that employs widespread rights violations as a structural and systematic tool of governance.
