Henry Jackson Society urges UK to push ahead with proscribing IRGC

Iran put the counter-terrorism think tank on its sanctions list this week

Protests have taken place in London against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. AFP

The Henry Jackson Society is urging the UK to push ahead with proscribing Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after Tehran blacklisted the British counter-terrorism think tank.

Iran on Wednesday placed 34 individuals and entities from the European Union and Britain on its sanctions list.

Tehran accused the people and organisations of “supporting terrorism and terrorist groups, instigating and encouragement to terrorist acts and violence against Iranian people”.

It also accused them of “interference in the domestic affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran and fomenting violence and unrest”.

Now, the Henry Jackson Society (HJS) is leading calls for the UK to push ahead with proscribing Iran’s IRGC.

“The HJS, known for its robust stance in defence of freedom and democracy worldwide, has been targeted by Iran’s clerical regime for sanctions,” it said.

“HJS was one of a number of European entities and personalities blacklisted by Tehran on account of their support for domestic protesters in Iran and efforts to stop Iranian nuclear proliferation and support for global terrorism.

“The Iranian decision comes at a time when the British government is tightening its policy on Iran, having sanctioned Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in December with a rumoured proscription of this entity to follow.

“HJS has long argued that the IRGC is an essential component of Iran’s terrorist-supporting infrastructure, and has also previously highlighted the influence of the Iranian regime within UK charities and places of worship that needs to be removed urgently.”

Britain has been considering proscribing the group, a move which would make it a criminal offence to belong to the IRGC, attend its meetings, carry its logo in public or encourage support of its activities.

HJS Executive Director Dr Alan Mendoza said the move needs to be enforced “immediately”.

“The Henry Jackson Society wears Iran’s decision to sanction us with pride, as it reflects this regime’s desperation to try and stop those — at home and abroad — who are fighting for a free, democratic and peaceful Iran,” he said.

“We hope the UK government takes note of Tehran’s attempt to silence pro-democracy voices and moves quickly to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, whose nefarious activities should be deemed illegal here immediately.”

Earlier this month a report by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change also said the UK should proscribe the IRGC with immediate effect.

For more than 43 years, the IRGC has been responsible for plotting global terrorist attacks, hostage-taking and other offences on foreign soil — including in Europe and the UK — as well as human rights violations in Iran, the report said.

It said the IRGC remains the biggest supporter of Hezbollah, which is a proscribed organisation in the UK.

The EU has so far stopped short of blacklisting the IRGC and labelling it as a terrorist group, despite calls from Germany and the Netherlands to do so.

Josep Borrell, the bloc's foreign affairs chief, has said the IRGC cannot be designated a terrorist group and proscribed without a court decision.

On Monday, the UK imposed more sanctions on Iran, citing human rights violations on Iranian people, including the recent execution of British-Iranian dual citizen Ali Reza Akbari.

The sanctions included freezing the assets of Iranian deputy prosecutor general Ahmad Fazelian, who the British Foreign Office said was responsible for an unfair judicial system that was using the death penalty for political purposes.