The Iranian government on Sunday lashed out sharply at German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, warning that his comments on the protests sweeping the country will cause «long-term damage» to diplomatic relations.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called Scholz’s comments «provocative, meddlesome and undiplomatic,» sabotaging the historic relationship between the two countries.
«We recommend the German government to find a way back to discretion to avoid further disruption of bilateral relations,» said Kanaani, whose government has exonerated the security forces of responsibility and blamed most of the protests on the actions of foreign powers.
In a podcast, Scholz sharply criticized the Iranian government’s handling of the protests over the death in custody of young Mahsa Amini, which according to NGOs have left around 330 people dead as a result of the crackdown.
«What kind of government is it that fires on its own people?» questioned Scholz, before adding that anyone who acts like this should expect resistance.
Amid criticism from abroad, the Iranian parliament also denied reports of a call by a majority of MPs for harsher punishments for protesters detained in Iran.
«The letter of 227 deputies mentioned in the media represented false documents and, therefore, the reports in this regard are denied,» the Parliament announced in a press release issued today.
According to the Fars news agency, which quoted the statement, some deputies had only called for harsh punishments for those involved in the killings and bloodshed during the unrest.
Last week, 227 of the 290 deputies had issued a statement accusing protesters across the country of «war against God» and demanding that the judiciary issue appropriate sentences, according to media reports.
Islamic law states that a charge of «war against God» can carry the death penalty, and this is how the Iranian parliament’s statement was interpreted abroad.
Observers in the country considered the government’s assertion of the alleged forgery to be a reversal.
They believe that the denial is an attempt to retract the call for death sentences for protesters, which was condemned in the strongest terms both in Iran and abroad by politicians such as German Chancellor Scholz.
The Iranian parliament has been dominated since 2020 by hardliners who have become known for their often radical decisions.
