Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON — The European Union has again rejected U.S.-sponsored sanctions on Iran.

The EU General Court dismissed penalties on Iranian companies accused of links to the Teheran regime. The court, in the latest threat to U.S.-sponsored sanctions on Teheran, ruled that evidence against the Iranian firms was insufficient.
“We are fully aware, as are the [EU] member states, of the consequences deriving from these judgments,” Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said.

Under the ruling on Sept. 6, the court ordered the cancellation of penalties on eight Iranian banks and firms. The court, based in Luxembourg, gave the EU two months to file an appeal.

“The EU’s member states are also fully aware of the need to come to a swift conclusion on the approach regarding these cases,” Mann said.

The ruling also ordered the removal of an EU freeze of the assets of
Post Bank Iran, Iran Insurance Co., Good Luck Shipping and Export
Development Bank of Iran. The court also ordered the lifting of EU sanctions
on Bank Refah Kargaran, Persia International Bank, a businessman identified
only as Mr. Bateni, and Iranian Offshore Engineering & Construction Co.

“The [EU]council has not proved the facts of which it accuses those four
companies [Post Bank, Iran Insurance, Good Luck and Export Development] and
that the council could not, therefore, properly establish that they had
provided support for nuclear proliferation,” the court said. “Consequently,
the acts of the council requiring the funds of those companies to be frozen
have been annulled.”

This marked the second time the EU court rejected sanctions on an
Iranian company in 2013. The company was identified as Bank Melli, linked to
Iran’s nuclear program, particularly the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
The EU accused Refah Kargaran of taking over for Melli.

The EU court, however, has not rejected all EU sanctions. The court
upheld sanctions on European–Iranian trade bank, based in Germany, and whose
assets had been frozen.

“The transactions carried out by Europaisch-Iranische Handelsbank on
behalf of designated Iranian entities justify the adoption of restrictive
measures against it,” the court said. “Consequently, those more recent acts
have not been annulled and the funds of Europaisch-Iranische Handelsbank
remain frozen.”

  Bank Melli, Catherine Ashton, EU court rules against U.S. on sanctions targeting Iranian banks, Persia Inernational Bank, Post Bank Iran