US sanctions Iranian prison officials for abusing women and girls

Latest measures against Tehran come on International Women's Day

Protesters rally in support of the women of Iran on International Women's Day in Berlin. AP

The US Treasury Department marked International Women's Day on Wednesday by issuing sanctions against two senior Iranian prison officials responsible for serious human rights abuses against women and girls.

The department said it had also sanctioned Iran's top army commander, a senior official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and three Iranian companies and their leaders who have enabled law enforcement to engage in repression.

“The United States, along with our partners and allies, stand with the women of Iran, who advocate for fundamental freedoms in the face of a brutal regime that treats women as second-class citizens and attempts to suppress their voices by any means,” Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.

In a statement marking International Women's Day, President Joe Biden said the rights of girls and women remain under attack in "far too many places".

"We see it in Afghanistan, where the Taliban bars women and girls from attending school and pursuing employment," he said.

"We see it in Iran, where the regime is brutally repressing the voices of women who are courageously standing up for their freedom.

"And in the face of Russia’s vicious and unjust invasion of Ukraine, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, we see countless stories of women bravely fighting for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Ukrainians."

The Treasury described its sanctions as the 10th round of such measures against Iranian officials since Tehran's crackdown on nationwide protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in September while in the custody of the morality police.

Women around the world marched to mark International Women's Day on Wednesday, with many showing support for Iranians who took to the streets following Ms Amini's death.