World
People stage a protest against the death of Zhina (Mahsa) Amini during a rally in central Rome on October 29, 2022. Photo: Gregorio Borgia/AP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iranian foreign ministry on Thursday summoned Italy’s ambassador to Tehran over remarks made by Italian officials criticizing the Islamic republic’s crackdown on the protests in the country, saying that Italy’s “interventionist” comments are “unacceptable and rejected.”
In an end-of-year press conference on Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on Iran to cease its “unacceptable” crackdown on the women-led demonstrations across the country, saying that “Italy can no longer tolerate it."
“In this meeting, the Islamic Republic of Iran's strong protest against the continued interventionist statements and actions of some Italian officials in the internal affairs of our country was communicated to the ambassador of this country,” read a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry.
The Iranian foreign ministry claimed that it is “the other side” that has violated the rights of the Iranian people through imposing “illegal” sanctions on the country, adding that Italy’s “negative” stances are not compatible with Rome and Tehran’s historical relations.
Nationwide protests erupted in Iran following the death of young Kurdish woman Zhina (Mahsa) Amini while in police custody in September. Tehran has violently cracked down on the protests, leading to a barrage of condemnations and sanctions from the international community.
The Italian foreign ministry summoned Iran’s ambassador to Rome to protests Tehran’s treatment of the demonstrators.
At least 508 protesters, including 69 children, have been killed and over 19,000 have been arrested since the protests began over three months ago, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Eleven death sentences have been issued by an Iranian court over the protests, the majority being related to the alleged targeting of Basij members, the militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Two protesters have already been publicly executed.
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