The protests against the Iranian government continue: 40 days after Amini’s death, numerous demonstrators gather at her grave. Foreign Minister Baerbock condemns the “inhuman” actions of the authorities and announces that she will intensify the course against Tehran.
At the end of the 40-day mourning period, dozens of people gathered at the grave of the Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in Iran. Scores of men and women chanted “Woman, Life, Freedom” and “Death to the Dictator” at the Aitchi Cemetery in Amini’s hometown of Saghes in western Kurdistan province, videos circulating online showed.
According to activists, security forces had previously threatened Amini’s family that they would “fear for their son’s life” if a ceremony was held at the cemetery. Images shared by the Norway-based human rights organization Hengaw showed a heavy police presence in Saghes, with security forces attempting to block access to the town. Still, dozens of people managed to get into the city in cars and on motorcycles, some on foot. Another video shared on the internet, which has not yet been independently verified, was heard shouting “Kurdistan, Kurdistan, the graveyard of the fascists.”
The cemetery in Sakes, where Amini is buried, is full of police officers and members of the Basij militia volunteers, an eyewitness said. “They tried to prevent us from entering the cemetery, but I managed to get in. I haven’t seen Mahsa’s parents yet.” Another witness reported that many local residents were on their way to the cemetery. The people have defied the warnings of the security forces and are going to the cemetery.” But there are numerous police officers and militiamen there.
There were also protests in the Iranian capital Tehran. The police used tear gas against a demonstration by doctors. The doctors demonstrated against the presence of security forces in the clinics, where participants in the protests are also treated. Eyewitnesses confirmed a massive presence of police officers and checks on the main streets in Tehran. Many shops were closed for fear of riots.
This Wednesday, 40 days have passed since the death of the young Kurd Mahsa Amini – the traditional mourning period in Iran has come to an end. The protests against the Iranian government have not stopped since her death. Amini died in Tehran on September 16 after being arrested by the vice squad three days earlier on charges of not wearing her headscarf in accordance with regulations. Activists accuse the authorities of abusing Amini.
According to the human rights organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), at least 141 demonstrators have been killed nationwide in the protests and the violent actions of the Iranian security forces.
Germany is responding to the Iranian authorities’ harsh crackdown on the protest movement by tightening its stance against Tehran. “Day by day, the human rights situation in Iran is deteriorating, and the security forces are taking more brutal action against the women and men on the streets who are demanding nothing other than their universal human rights,” said Federal Foreign Minister Baerbock in Berlin. With a state “that treats its own citizens with such inhumanity”, there can be no “business as usual” in bilateral relations. The sanctions that Germany has launched together with its European partners are a first step.
In addition, the federal government is taking further measures to react to the situation in Iran, explained Baerbock. Among other things, Berlin is committed to a special human rights council in Geneva and is working on a “strong” resolution in the UN General Assembly. Pending the establishment of a UN mechanism, non-governmental organizations would also be supported in the task of documenting and collecting evidence of human rights crimes.
The systematic oppression of women and ethnic, religious and sexual minorities in Iran is not new – “but it is currently reaching an unprecedented level of severity,” explained the Green politician. The situation in Iran is also becoming increasingly dangerous for German nationals.
Iran reacted to the punitive measures previously imposed by Brussels with sanctions against European politicians and institutions. The Persian-language department of Deutsche Welle (DW) is mentioned in the statement from the Foreign Ministry. Members of the European Parliament, two German companies and German journalists are also affected.
About a week ago, Iran put more than a dozen British people and institutions on a terrorist list. Iran accuses the institutions and people of “supporting terrorism”. The sanctions include entry bans, and assets within the legal jurisdiction of the Iranian authorities are to be frozen. The list includes the British secret service GCHQ and London-based Persian-language media houses such as BBC Persian and Iran International.
