Borrell said on Twitter on Thursday that he also stressed to his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, that those responsible for the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini must be held accountable.
The right to freedom of expression and assembly must be guaranteed, Borrell demanded. “The EU is considering all options,” he said, referring to possible EU action to quell protests in Iran.
https://twitter.com/JosepBorrellF/status/1577928236448862208
Tehran warns EU
Tehran, for its part, warned the European Union not to take hasty measures because of the demonstrations. “Peaceful protests are among the basic rights of Iranian citizens, but arson attacks on banks, ambulances and public facilities have nothing to do with protests,” Amirabdollahian said. The case of the late Amini is being investigated. But the EU must not take inappropriate measures, said the Iranian foreign minister. “But if that happens, Iran will respond appropriately,” he warned – without elaborating.
The trigger for the ongoing demonstrations in Iran was the death of 22-year-old Amini in mid-September. The moral police arrested her because of her alleged “anti-Islamic clothing”. What happened to Amini after that is unclear. The woman slipped into a coma and died in a hospital on September 16. Critics accuse the police of morality of using violence; the police deny it. Since the woman’s death, thousands have demonstrated across the country against the Islamic Republic’s repressive course and mandatory headscarf.