The governments of France and Germany have summoned Iranian diplomats on Monday to protest the execution of three prisoners accused of killing several police officers during anti-government protests that have taken place in the country since last September.
The French Foreign Ministry explained on its official Twitter profile that it has summoned the Iranian chargé d’affaires, Seyed Hosein Samimifar, to convey its «strongest condemnation of the executions and repression in Iran».
France has also expressed in a statement its «constant opposition to the death penalty, everywhere and in all circumstances,» as well as its «commitment to the universal abolition of this unjust and inhuman punishment.»
In this way, the French Foreign Ministry has explained that these «appalling» executions are in addition to «the many other serious and unacceptable violations of fundamental rights and freedoms committed by the Iranian authorities», which is why they have called on Tehran to put an end to these actions.
For her part, the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, has summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin, Mahmud Farazandeh, to express to him «that the brutal repression» against the population, as well as the latest executions «will not remain without consequences».
The German government has also condemned «in the strongest possible terms the Iranian regime’s continued use of the death penalty as a means of repression.» «We call on Iran to release without delay all those unjustly imprisoned,» said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, as quoted by DPA.
Finally, Norway’s Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt also condemned the new executions on Saturday and urged the authorities to «respond to the protests with meaningful reforms and immediately stop the executions.»
The new sentences, which can still be appealed, bring to 17 the total number of people who have been sentenced to death in connection with the protests, which began more than three months ago following the death of young Mahsa Amini.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
