EU Calls On Iran’s Regime To Stop Execution Of Protesters

The European Union has urged the Islamic Republic to stop the repression and execution of protestors, as well as support for Russia.

The bloc’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell in a tweet on Friday said he has spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on several issues including the execution of the 23-year-old protester Mohsen Shekari.

Iran on Thursday announced the first execution of a protester convicted over the recent anti-regime protests. Mohsen Shekari was hanged after a brief and sham trial simply for allegedly wounding a government agent and closing a street.

Borrel added he has conveyed EU’s position on the matter urging the Islamic Republic to immediately “stop executions and repression, respect fundamental freedoms of Iranian people and stop military support to Russia.”

The execution of Mohsen Shekari has drawn widespread condemnation from many countries and United Nations human rights experts.

In a short statement on its Twitter account, the regime’s Ministry of Foreign Affairsclaimed that the government has “exercised the utmost restraint in dealing with the riots.”

“In countering riots, the Islamic Republic has shown utmost restraint and -- unlike many Western regimes who smear and violently crack down even on peaceful protesters -- Iran has employed proportionate and standard anti-riot methods,” the statement read.

The ministry then repeated the official rhetoric, blaming other countries for the protests, saying that “Yet, public security is a redline. Armed assault and vandalism aren't tolerable, even to Western regimes.”