Spain summons Iran envoy following crackdown on protests

People gather in Callao square during a solidarity protest for Mahsa Amini, a 22 years old Iranian woman who died under custody by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her hijab properly, in Madrid, Spain on September 28, 2022 [Burak Akbulut – Anadolu Agency]

Spain yesterday summoned the Iranian ambassador to Madrid to protest against the police crackdown on protesters following the death in custody of a 22-year-old lady. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the envoy to express its opposition to the“suppression of demonstrations and the violation of women’s rights”. This came a day after it issued a statement condemning “the violence against peaceful demonstrators” and “violence against Iranian women and their rights”.

Approximately 60 people have been killed in protests in Iran following Mahsa Amini’s death in detention, in addition to ten policemen. More than 1,200 demonstrators have been arrested.

On Monday, the German government summoned the Iranian ambassador in Berlin, asking him to end the violence.

Last week, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran’s morality police over allegations of abuse of Iranian women. Washington said it held the unit responsible for the 16 September death of the 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, after she was detained by morality police enforcing the Islamic Republic’s strict restrictions on women’s dress.

READ: Son of Iran’s ex-Shah hails ‘women’s revolution’ against the hijab

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