The Government has announced travel bans on 22 members of the Iranian security forces following the death of a young woman there and the "violent" response to subsequent protests.
Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, 22, died on September 16 in police custody. She was arrested by Iran's morality police for flouting the strict hijab policy, which requires women to dress modestly and wear headscarves.
Nationwide unrest has rocked Iran since her death and several Iranians have been sentenced to death by execution during the protests.
New Zealand has previously suspended its human rights dialogue with Iran and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has also signed a letter calling for Iran to be removed from the United Nations rights body the Commission on the Status of Women.
Now, she and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta have announced New Zealand will impose travel bans on members of the Iranian security forces who are connected to Amini's death and the response to the protests that followed.
"What happened to Mahsa Amini is inexcusable. New Zealand continues to stand with the people of Iran, especially women and girls," Ardern said.
"New Zealand will always advocate strongly for the right to peaceful protest and greater civil and political freedoms, and condemns the actions of the Iranian authorities in their brutal suppression of protestors simply advocating for basic universal rights.
"We will continue to respond alongside international partners to condemn the violence, seek increased scrutiny of events in Iran, back an investigation by an independent outside body, and call on Iranian authorities to de-escalate their response and commute all death sentences."
While the initial tranche of travel bans affects 22 people, more may follow. These people won't be allowed to enter or transit New Zealand.
Mahuta said the travel bans send a message that New Zealand won't "tolerate the denial of basic human rights and the violent suppression of protests in Iran".
"New Zealand already has sanctions against Iranian individuals and companies under our UN sanctions, which involve asset freezes and export bans. Today we go further to target officials linked to the death of Mahsa Amini and the repression of protests that followed," Mahuta said.
"We are imposing travel bans on those involved in the violent suppression of protests and human rights violations. They include members of the Morality Police, the Law Enforcement Command, and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)."
The people include: Hossein Salami, commander in chief of the IRGC; Gholam-Reza Soleimani, commander of the Basij; Hossein Ashtari, commander of the Police (Law Enforcement Command); and Mohammed Rostami, head of the Morality Police.
Mahuta said the Government continues to look at other measures to send a message that Iran's "repressive approach to its own population" places it outside globally accepted human rights values.
"We have also supported efforts at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, where we co-sponsored a resolution for a fact-finding mission to investigate human rights violations. At the UN Security Council in New York we called for Iran to deal with the grievances of its people; and as part of a group of women foreign ministers we called for protection of the right to protest," Mahuta said.
"In addition to multilateral efforts, we have also taken direct measures to reset our relationship with Iran, including suspending our Human Rights Dialogue indefinitely, and urging New Zealand travellers in Iran to leave.
"We also supported international initiatives to uphold media freedom and condemn internet shutdowns in Iran. These travel bans are not the end of our sanctions. Additional individuals and further measures are under consideration."
A travel ban has been placed against the following:
- Hossein Salami, Commander in Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
- Gholom-Reza Soleimani, Head of the Basij Organisation
- Mohammad Kazemi, Commander of the Intelligence Bureau, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
- Hossein Ashtari, Chief Commander of the Law Enforcement Command
- Hassan Karami, Commander of the Police Special Forces (Riot Police)
- Mohammad Rostami Cheshmeh Gachi, Head of Iran's 'Morality Police'
- Hossein Rahimi, Head of Iran's Law Enforcement Command in Tehran
- Haj Ahmed Mirzaei, Head of Iran's 'Morality Police' in Tehran
- Salar Abnoush, Deputy Commander of the Basij Resistance Force
- Qasem Rezaei, Deputy Commander of Iran's Law Enforcement Command
- Vahid Mohammad Naser Majid, Head of the Iranian Cyber Police
- Abbas Abdi, Head of Iran's Law Enforcement Command in Divandarreh district
- Hasan Hassanzadeh, Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Tehran province
- Manouchehr Amanollahi, Head of the Law Enforcement Command in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province
- Maroufi Hossein, Deputy Head of Mobilisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Sistan and Baluchestan province
- Ahmad Taheri, Head of the Law Enforcement Command in Sistan and Baluchestan province
- Seyed Sadegh Hosseini, Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Kurdistan province
- Sereng Hossein Rajabpour, Head of the Beir al-Maqdis force in Sanandaj city
- Gholamhossein Mohammadi Asl, Head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Arbabil province
- Morteza Mir Aghaei, Head of the Basij Resistence Force in Sanandaj city
- Mohammadian Abbas-Ali, Head of Iran's Law Enforcement Command in Alborz province
- Mahmoud Saadati, Head of Iran's Law Enforcement Services in Zahedan city.
