Germany: Iran should recognize people's right to protest
Berlin called on Tehran to recognize legitimate protests and respect the protesters' right to assemble. The French Foreign Ministry urged its citizens to refrain from traveling to Iran. The Turkish Foreign Minister expressed hope that calm would return to Iran.
"People's courageous protest against their own economic and political conditions is legitimate and respectful," said Ulrike Demmer, spokeswoman for the German Chancellor, on Monday, November 18.
Angela Merkel's spokesman said at a weekly press conference that the German government is following the situation in Iran with concern and that Tehran would be better off responding to the ongoing protests by expressing readiness for dialogue: "We call on the Iranian government to respect the right to hold assemblies and the right to freedom of expression."
At the same time, the French Foreign Minister announced that he was closely following the events in Iran. The ministry's spokesperson also called on the Islamic Republic to respect the demonstrators' right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
Several people have been killed in nationwide protests in Iran since Friday evening against a threefold increase in gasoline prices. Major roads have been blocked, banks and public buildings have been set on fire and destroyed. Official Iranian officials have confirmed the deaths of only three people in the ongoing demonstrations, but unofficial reports indicate that more than 30 people have been killed in the protests.
The Associated Press writes that Iranian television rarely broadcasts reports of public gatherings in cities and towns, but in selected images, it shows videos of masked people setting fires and causing destruction.
The German government on Sunday, November 17, advised its citizens to be vigilant when traveling to Iran, warning travelers to avoid attending gatherings and refrain from making political comments to strangers.
The French government has also urged its citizens to cancel any personal or business trips to Iran. The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that travel to Iran is risky due to the risk of arbitrary arrests by security and intelligence agencies.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in an interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency, expressed hope that the ongoing demonstrations in Iran would end as soon as possible: "We hope that the recent incidents will end soon and that peace will return to Iran."
Source: DW
