Iran condemns EU human rights sanctions

Iran today condemned a decision by the European Union to extend sanctions imposed over its human rights record for one year.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns the repetitive and unhealthy process of double standards and political abuse of human rights as a tool by the EU, including the renewal of unilateral sanctions," foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, the EU has shown that it has no true understanding of the human rights situation... In the religious democratic system of Iran."
The sanctions renewed yesterday include an asset freeze against 82 individuals and one entity, plus a ban on exports to Iran of equipment "which might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications," an EU statement said.

They were first put in place in 2011 and are unrelated to Iran's nuclear programme.
Major powers struck a deal with Iran in July 2015 under which the EU began lifting nuclear-related sanctions in January last year.