German government strongly criticizes violence against protesters in Iran
The German government strongly criticized the behavior of security forces in Iran against participants in street demonstrations and protests. The German government also called for restraint by security forces against protesters and for the complete lifting of the internet shutdown in Iran.
A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said in Berlin on Thursday, November 21, regarding the recent protests in Iran and the high number of protesters killed by the Islamic Republic's security forces: "We are shocked to hear reports of the killing of more than 100 people and condemn the disproportionate actions of the Iranian security forces."
The German Foreign Ministry spokesman called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respect the people's right to peaceful protest.
The German diplomatic spokesman also stated: “People in Iran should have the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with the political and economic situation and to express their opinions freely and peacefully.” He continued: “We call on the Iranian security forces to exercise the greatest possible restraint.”
The German Foreign Ministry spokesman also said that the German government also expects the Iranian leadership to completely end the internet shutdown in the country.
Amnesty International announced two days ago that 106 people have been killed, hundreds injured, and more than a thousand arrested in these protests. Unofficial sources have put the number much higher.
The protests in Iran, which began after the price of gasoline tripled, quickly took a different direction and targeted the entire system.
Iranian domestic media have blamed the Supreme Security Council for the widespread internet outage that began after protests over rising gasoline prices. The internet was shut down in Iran on Saturday, November 15, following the height of the protests.
Source: DW
