Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Ciccone not only for the question but for his consistent championing of human rights issues at home and abroad and for his leadership as chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee. I appreciate the opportunity to work with him.

I know I speak for all senators, regardless of our political differences, when I say we stand in solidarity with the people of Iran, who have demonstrated immense bravery in the face of a brutal regime. The arrest and death of Mahsa Amini, whose Kurdish name was Jina, sparked months of protests and demonstrations across Iran, and I've spoken about this on a number of occasions previously. These brave protesters have been met by brutal oppression. Hundreds are now dead at the hands of the Iranian regime, and thousands more jailed.

From the beginning of this new crackdown, Australia worked strategically to build pressure internationally on Iran. This government has taken stronger action against Iran on human rights than any previous Australian government. We are at the forefront of efforts to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. We co-sponsored and advocated for the successful Human Rights Council resolution establishing the independent investigation into human rights violations in Iran. Last year we imposed Magnitsky-style human rights sanctions on six individuals and two entities, including Iran's morality police, over their involvement in the Iranian regime's abhorrent, flagrant and continuing human rights violations. Just last week I announced additional Magnitsky-style sanctions against 16 Iranian individuals and one Iranian entity. In addition, we have joined partners to impose targeted sanctions on multiple Iranian individuals and entities involved in supplying and producing drones to Russia that are being used in the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.