EU ministers adopt Iran sanctions over citizen detentions

FILE PHOTO: Supporters and relatives of French citizens detained in Iran, Cecile Kohler, Benjamin Briere, Jacques Paris and Fariba Adelkhah, gather in front of the Eiffel Tower during a rally demanding their release, in Paris, France, January 28, 2023. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Union foreign ministers on Monday adopted sanctions against seven Iranian individuals and two organisations over the detention of EU citizens, which the bloc calls a policy of state-sponsored hostage-taking, diplomats said.

A list of those sanctioned, seen by Reuters, included the director of Tehran's Evin prison and several judges and other judicial officials. The main prison in the city of Shiraz was among the organisations sanctioned.