EU Commissioner for Security and Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said that the excessive use of force against protesters in Iran is unacceptable and unjustified.
He added that the decision of the Iranian authorities to restrict access to the Internet and disrupt social networks is a flagrant violation of freedom of expression.
In a written statement, Borrell confirmed that ahead of the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the European Union will continue to consider all available options for responding to the killing of Mahsa Amini and the Iranian security forces’ response to the protests that followed. .
He pointed out that the excessive use of force by Iranian security forces led to casualties among the demonstrators, urging Tehran to clarify the number of deaths and arrests and to release all peaceful demonstrators.
He stressed that the death of Mahsa Amini should be the subject of a factual investigation and all those responsible for her death should be held accountable.
On the other hand, representativeOn behalf of the European Foreign Office, Peter Stano, the European Commission does not yet know if new EU sanctions will be imposed on Iran, noting that 90 Iranian individuals and entities are subject to Union restrictions due to internal repression.
Notably, Iranian police arrested a young woman, Mahsa Amini, on September 13 in Tehran on charges of wearing inappropriate clothing and violating the strict dress code for women in Iran.
According to an Iranian officer, the girl had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital, where she died 3 days later, and local residents confirm that Amini died due to beatings she was subjected to at the police station.
The murder of a young woman led to mass protests that turned into clashes, during which dozens of demonstrators and security officials were killed on the streets of several large Iranian cities.
Last Thursday, the United States imposed sanctions on an Iranian police deputy and seven senior law enforcement officials in connection with Amini’s murder.
Source: AFP + RIA Novosti