ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Joe Biden on Friday said he was “stunned” by how people in Iran reacted to the death of a Kurdish woman at police custody, saying Iranians have been “awakened” by the protests which followed.
“I want you to know that we stand with the citizens, the brave women of Iran, for real, for real,” Biden said in California on Friday, adding that Iranians are protesting to “secure their very basic, fundamental rights.”
Iran is currently in its fourth week of protests which have engulfed the country since the death of Kurdish Mahsa (Zhina) Amini on September 16 while in the custody of the morality police in Tehran. The use of violence by Iranian security forces to disperse the demonstrators has been widely condemned by the international community.
“Iran has to end the violence against its own citizens simply exercising their fundamental rights,” Biden said.
He also said that the reaction of Iranians to Amini’s death “stunned” him and “awakened” Iranians, noting that “it’s awakened something that I don’t think will be quieted in a long, long time.”
On Thursday, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights said that at least 201 people have been killed across Iran since protests began.
French President Emannuel Macron expressed solidarity with Iranian protesters on Wednesday - something condemned by Tehran the next day. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, accused the French president of “hypocrisy.”
“I want you to know that we stand with the citizens, the brave women of Iran, for real, for real,” Biden said in California on Friday, adding that Iranians are protesting to “secure their very basic, fundamental rights.”
Iran is currently in its fourth week of protests which have engulfed the country since the death of Kurdish Mahsa (Zhina) Amini on September 16 while in the custody of the morality police in Tehran. The use of violence by Iranian security forces to disperse the demonstrators has been widely condemned by the international community.
“Iran has to end the violence against its own citizens simply exercising their fundamental rights,” Biden said.
He also said that the reaction of Iranians to Amini’s death “stunned” him and “awakened” Iranians, noting that “it’s awakened something that I don’t think will be quieted in a long, long time.”
On Thursday, the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights said that at least 201 people have been killed across Iran since protests began.
French President Emannuel Macron expressed solidarity with Iranian protesters on Wednesday - something condemned by Tehran the next day. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, accused the French president of “hypocrisy.”
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment