The EU announced Monday that it had sanctioned Iranian militia commanders, police chiefs, and three prisons due to their violent response to November 2019 demonstrations.

A series of nationwide protests in Iran over high fuel prices led to calls for the overthrow of the government. During these protests, Iranian forces allegedly used “widespread and disproportionate” force, which led to more than 1,500 deaths in less than two weeks. The EU denounced the forces’ disproportionate use of force in December 2019.

On Monday, the EU announced in its Official Journal that it had sanctioned several individuals and entities because of their actions during the 2019 demonstrations. The individuals sanctioned include the head of the Basij Organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); the Commander in Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard; the Commander of the Special Units of the Iranian police force; the Commander in Chief of the IRGC Ground Forces; the Commander in Chief of the Iranian police force; the IRGC Commander of Khuzestan Province Vali Asr Corps; the former director of detention centers; and the Governor of Shahr-e Qods and Head of the City Security Council. The EU also sanctioned three prisons.

These sanctions are the first time since 2013 that the EU imposed sanctions on Iran for human rights abuses.