Green Party: German government should condemn repression of Iranian protesters
Foreign policy spokespeople for the German Greens and Free Democrats have called for Germany to take a stand against the repression of Iranian protesters, saying that the protesters have taken to the streets not just because of the high price of gasoline, but also in response to corruption and mismanagement.
Omid Nouripour, foreign policy spokesman for the Green Party in Germany, expressed solidarity with the Iranian protesters in a press release, noting that the demonstrators have many reasons to protest the conditions in the country. The statement said that although the protests began over rising gasoline prices, widespread dissatisfaction with the lack of political rights, high inflation, corruption and mismanagement, and the waste of important domestic resources to support regional conflicts are other factors in these protests.
Bijan Jirsaei, foreign policy spokesman for the Free Democrats party, also tweeted: "The Iranian people have not taken to the streets against US sanctions, but rather have demonstrated to protest corruption, mismanagement, and the lack of freedom in their own country."
Omid Nooripour emphasized in a press release that the violence and repression of security forces is highly disproportionate: "When people protest out of extreme frustration over the unacceptable price of gasoline, the system should show them solutions, not violence."
He wrote that the German federal government should condemn the repression of protesters in Iran without delay and demand that Tehran restore people's internet connections: "Despite the need to preserve the nuclear deal, the European Union must not remain silent about the domestic situation and the dire human rights situation in Iran."
The Green Party press release states that the German government and its European partners must simultaneously counteract the American policy of “maximum pressure” that seeks regime change by impoverishing the people: “Furthermore, the promise of creating opportunities for financial exchanges with Iran must not be forgotten and jeopardized.”
Bijan Jirsaei, foreign policy spokesman for the German Free Democrats, also expressed regret over the inaction of the German diplomatic establishment regarding the situation in Iran or Hong Kong, writing in a tweet: "I am still waiting for Foreign Minister Heiko Maas's comment on the current situation in Iran."
On the second day of nationwide protests in Iran, he wrote: "The Islamic Republic has responded to the protesters with violence and restricted the internet. The German government must take a stand against this repression."
Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds injured in nationwide protests across Iran that began on Friday evening in response to a threefold increase in gasoline prices. The UN human rights office said in a statement that the use of live ammunition against protesters was worrying. A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was following reports of the protests in Iran with concern and was saddened by the number of people who had lost their lives.
Source: DW
