MNA -- Mr. Bahram Ghasemi told reporters in his official response to extension that the EU had only a state of mind about Iran's human rights condition, and thus developed an inaccurate and distorted image of what had happened in Iran; "the extension of sanctions is seen in Tehran as using the issue as an instrument; the EU had politicized the issue, a policy which will not change anything and is an aborted measure," Ghasemi objected.

"The EU has systematically ignored the realities of the democracy in Iran and positive changes in citizens' rights conditions; despite the sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to act according to its Constitution in improvement of the rights conditions," he concluded.

"The European Union has extended sanctions against Iran by another year over what the bloc says are serious human rights violations.

The EU said in a statement it extended a travel ban and asset freeze against 82 people and also a ban on EU exports that might help in the repression of internal dissent," wrote MSNBC coverage of the story.