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BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz strongly criticized the Iranian authorities Saturday for its bloody crackdown on protests within the nation stated Germany stands “shoulder to shoulder with the Iranian folks.”
Scholz stated the continuing protests sparked by the September 16 loss of life of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her detention by Iran’s morality police had been not “merely a query of costume codes” however had advanced right into a combat for freedom and justice.
The protests have grown into one of many largest sustained challenges to Iran’s theocracy for the reason that chaotic months after its 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“We will barely start to think about how a lot braveness this takes,” Scholz stated in his weekly video handle. “Greater than 300 killed, dozens of loss of life sentences and greater than 14,000 arrests. Up to now. Those that show towards oppression in Iran threat their lives, and sometimes additionally the lives of their family members – and face the prospect of torture and a long time in jail.”
A whole bunch of 1000’s of individuals in Germany with Iranian roots worry for his or her kinfolk and are “appalled and disgusted by what the Mullah regime is doing to the demonstrators,” the chancellor continued. “It’s clear that the Iranian authorities is solely chargeable for this spate of violence.”
Scholz stated Iran would obtain extra sanctions for its brutal crackdown and its resolution to ship a whole lot of drones to Russia to be used within the struggle in Ukraine. European Union international ministers are anticipated to agree on extra sanctions once they meet on Monday.
Germany’s international minister on Friday rejected a grievance by her Iranian counterpart that she was taking an “interventionist” stance over protests in Iran and pushed again towards his pledge of a “agency” response.
Earlier this month, Iranian Overseas Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, that she was taking an “interventionist” stance over protests in Iran. Baerbock had made a speech to the German parliament during which she stated Berlin wouldn’t let up in pursuing additional sanctions towards Tehran over the protest crackdown.
Responding to Amirabdollahian’s menace of penalties for Germany’s place, Scholz stated, “What sort of authorities does it make you in the event you shoot at your personal residents? Those that act in such a approach should count on us to push again.”
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