Iran’s Human Rights Secretary has condemned the EU’s recent sanctions on three Iranian airliners, describing the bans as a violation of international law and an breach of Iranian citizens’ rights.

According to The Iran Project, Kazem Gharibabadi wrote a letter on Tuesday, demanding President of the UN Human Rights Council Omar Zniber and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk intervene in the matter.

The Iranian official described the recent EU’s sanctions as illegal and unilateral, which were introduced on October 14, arguing that they obstruct Iranians’ access to human rights protections.

Gharibabadi further noted that Iran Air, officially known as the Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran, had maintained flights to major European cities, including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Paris, and London, despite previous US sanctions in 2018; however, these latest EU sanctions have halted those flights, causing significant disruptions for travelers.

The official added that these sanctions violate aviation rights by limiting freedom of air travel and affecting Iranian citizens’ access to healthcare (by hindering the delivery of medicines and medical equipment) and education (due to difficulties for students and scholars).

He also stressed that these rights are secured under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Gharibabadi criticized the double standard in Western, in particular the European nations’ policies on global issues, suggesting that such approaches are detrimental to international law and human rights.