The cruelty of the ayatollahs

The Iranian government's strategy of repressive brutality does not cease and continues its open harassment of protests in favor of women's rights and regime change.

The effects on citizen mobilization are beginning to be noticeable.

The massive protests have been losing steam as the regime activated a systematic program of mass arrests and numerous death sentences.

The situation had to reach this point for the European Parliament to finally ask the EU for the Revolutionary Guard, a true ideological and military pillar with important ideological ramifications of the regime, to be included in the list of terrorist organizations, in addition to activating direct sanctions against the Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, the president, Ebrahim Raisí,

the country's attorney general and their families.

The proposal includes the Basij paramilitary militia, directly responsible for numerous deaths during the protests, and the Quds Force, responsible for special military operations outside of Iran.

It is a measure similar to the one that the United Kingdom is studying after the execution on the 14th of Alireza Akbari, who was deputy defense minister in Iran between 2000 and 2005.

The ayatollahs' regime has used all the resources at its disposal, including paramilitary forces, against what constitutes the biggest challenge to the theocratic system since the establishment of the Islamic regime in 1979. The numbers speak for themselves: an approximate number of 500 dead, more than 20,000 people arrested and prosecuted and, so far, some twenty death sentences issued, several of which have already been carried out with the barbaric method of exposing the corpses hung on public roads so that serve as a warning

Athletes, artists and any public figure who has been able to express or make the slightest gesture of support for the protests - not singing the anthem, competing without a veil, showing a shirt - have been persecuted.

The result is that fear and fatigue have been taking their toll on a population that sees a historic opportunity for real change slipping away.

The communication from the European Parliament demanding, now yes, the immediate stoppage of the executions and the release of all European prisoners, including two Spaniards, has been immediately answered by the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hosein Amirabdolahian through a phone call to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, accusing the EU of being “interventionist”.

Only European firmness against repressive impunity and the very power of sanctions can convey to the Iranian population that the international community is indeed willing to intervene.