The United States, the UN, Germany and France have condemned the Iranian regime for its violence against those taking part in recent protests that has left at least 200 dead as a result of widespread use of live ammunition against protestors.
Germany urged Iran on Monday, November 18, 2019, to respect “legitimate’ protests.”
“It is legitimate and deserving of our respect when people courageously air their economic and political grievances, as is currently happening in Iran,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told reporters.
“The Iranian government should respond to the current protests with a willingness to engage in dialogue,” she told a regular press conference, adding that Germany was following the events “with concern.”
“We urge the government in Tehran to respect freedom of assembly and expression.”
The Trump administration lashed out at Iran Sunday. “Tehran has fanatically pursued nuclear weapons and missile programs, and supported terrorism, turning a proud nation into another cautionary tale of what happens when a ruling class abandons its people and embarks on a crusade for personal power and riches,” the White House statement said.
The French Foreign Ministry also issued a statement calling on Iranian authorities to respect the people’s right to protest and their freedom of expression. Although Iranian protestors have been calling for international support for their peaceful demonstrations, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has dismissed statements by the U.S., France and Germany as intervention in Iran’s internal affairs.
A White House statement on November 17 expressed “support” for “the Iranian people in their peaceful protests.”
“We condemn the lethal force and severe communications restrictions used against demonstrators,” the statement said.
Earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had voiced support for the Iranian people, tweeting that “The United States is with you”.
International human rights watchdog Amnesty International said in a November 18 statement “We’re horrified at reports that the security forces have killed dozens of protesters in Iran, hundreds injured & over 1,000 arrested since Friday (November 14),” adding that “We’re alarmed that authorities have shut down the internet to create an information blackout of their brutal crackdown. We’re investigating.”
“The authorities have shut down the internet to create an information blackout of their brutal crackdown,” Amnesty International reiterated in a tweet.
At least 200 protesters have been killed by security forces since the beginning of protests over a sharp hike in petrol price.
Due to the internet shut down by the Iranian regime, the number of videos and reports coming from Iran are limited but what is clear is that the regime has started a brutal crackdown against protesters.
Security forces have launched a crackdown with thousands of people arrested and the Internet shut down across most of the country.
The regime’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei personally weighed in Sunday November 17, and called the protesters, “hooligans,” giving a green light to the security forces for killing of protesters in Iran. He instructed “officials in charge of maintaining security” to “carry out their line of duties.”
Other officials have issued statements calling on security forces to use every mean to crush the protesters.
