IRAN | 28.12.2009 German and European leaders condemn Iran crackdown
After a Sunday in Tehran in which protestors were met with violence from security forces, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her foreign minister have spoken out against the crackdown.
In a strong statement to the press on Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the actions of Iran’s state security services “unacceptable.”
She called on them to “avoid any further escalation of the violence and to pursue political dialogue to peacefully settle internally disputed matters,” and also to respect their commitment to the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantees the right to peaceful protest.
At least eight people were killed in street clashes in Tehran when police and Basij militia members confronted protest marchers who were attempting to gather at a number of central squares. Sunday’s protests took place on Ashura, a Shiite Islamic holy day devoted to honoring martyrs, often through street marches.
Violent response
According to opposition sources, security forces us…
