Overview

• The EU has sanctioned seven Iranian individuals and two organizations, including the director of Tehran's Evin prison and Shiraz prison, for detaining EU citizens under conditions labeled as state-sponsored hostage-taking.
• The sanctions include freezing assets within the EU and banning travel to EU member states, targeting key figures and institutions involved in the detentions.
• Iran's Revolutionary Guards are accused of detaining at least 20 European citizens, often on espionage or security charges, which rights groups claim is a tactic to extract concessions.
• France is advancing a legal complaint to the International Court of Justice, accusing Iran of violating consular protection rights and highlighting inhumane detention conditions.
• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot expressed satisfaction with the EU's measures, emphasizing the unworthy conditions faced by detained European nationals.