The Council of the European Union on March 23 reinforced EU restrictive measures adopted in response to serious human rights violations in Iran and prolonged them by 12 months.

The Council added 17 persons responsible for serious human rights violations to the list of those subject to a travel ban and an asset freeze. This brings the number of persons targeted to 78. It also banned exports of equipment and software intended for use in the monitoring or interception of internet and telephone communications by the Iranian authorities.

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said: "The EU remains deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran. We deplore the continuing increase in executions and the widespread repression of Iranian citizens, including human rights defenders, journalists and members of the opposition. We renew our calls on the Iranian authorities to live up to their international human rights obligations and to protect all fundamental freedoms to which the Iranian people are entitled."

For reasons of coherence, an already existing export ban on equipment that can be used for internal repression was transferred from the sanctions regime addressing the Iranian nuclear program into the legal act modified today.

The measures are now valid until April 13, 2013. Legal acts will be published in the EU Official Journal of March 24.