Iran on Saturday condemned Australia's sanctions on Iranian individuals and institutions, saying they amounted to interference in Iran's internal affairs.
The Australian government "has for years been violating the basic rights of indigenous Australians, prisoners and refugees," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani speaks during a press conference in the capital Tehran, December 5, 2022. /CFP
"Australia has also given sanctuary to anti-Iran terrorist and separatist groups," he added.
Earlier in the day, the Australian government announced sanctions on six Iranians and Iran's morality police and Basij volunteer force over what it called "human rights violations and abuses."
Protests erupted in Iran after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in a Tehran hospital on September 16, a few days after her collapse at a police station. Iran has accused the United States and some other Western countries of "inciting riots and supporting terrorists" in the country.
(With input from Xinhua)