On July 24, 2026, the European Union expanded its sanctions against Iran by targeting five Revolutionary Court judges and Nima Salehi, founder of the Ashiyane Digital Security group. The move focuses on individuals involved in harsh political repression and state-linked cyber operations.
The judges served in regional Revolutionary courts and handed down death sentences, long prison terms, flogging, and financial penalties mostly aimed at political dissidents, including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi. These rulings shows the judiciary’s role in suppressing dissent through politically motivated trials.
Salehi’s Ashiyane group is known for cyber-attacks against domestic opponents and maintains formal ties with Iran’s Cyber Police (FATA) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This sanctions step marks a clear recognition of the cyber domain as a tool of authoritarian control, moving beyond traditional government officials to target digital infrastructure players.
Implications for Finance and Crypto Compliance
The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans, standard EU measures against human rights violations. While cryptocurrency isn’t explicitly mentioned, the designation of figures linked to Iran’s security apparatus triggers compliance obligations for all regulated financial service providers in Europe. This especially affects crypto platforms governed by the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation.
Exchanges and payment processors handling euro transactions must now screen for these individuals, heightening the scrutiny of wallets or transaction chains connected to Ashiyane’s digital infrastructure, which will likely be seen as high risk.
This latest EU action continues a pattern that started in March 2026, when additional Iranian judiciary members and state surveillance entities were sanctioned. Targeting a cyber group's founder signals that the EU is ready to broaden its approach to digital authoritarianism.
