Iran’s government on Friday accused Germany of inciting «terrorism» and «hate speech» in the country following Berlin’s criticism of the execution of a man arrested during protests since September over the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, detained for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly.
«Combating terrorism, violence and hate speech are unequivocal international responsibilities,» said Iranian Foreign Minister Hosein Amirabdolahian, who argued that «it is hypocritical of Germany to consider these as ‘red lines’ in its territory and security while inciting this same sinister phenomenon in Iran.»
Thus, Amirabdolahian has criticized Germany through his account on the social network Twitter for «denouncing the legitimate fight» against these acts by the Iranian authorities. Shortly before, his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, had condemned the recent execution and announced a harsh reaction from the European Union (EU), according to the German news agency DPA.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi stressed on Friday that those responsible for acts of vandalism and attacks in the framework of the demonstrations will be punished «strictly», before stressing that «the enemies seek to damage the values of the Islamic Revolution by resorting to a new combined war, but the Iranian nation has confronted this conspiracy».
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed last week that more than 300 people have been killed since the start of the protests, in what was the first official toll since the mobilizations began. The figure is lower than that provided by NGOs, which point to more than 400 dead due to repression by security forces.
