French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Labour leader Keir Starmer, and German opposition leader Friedrich Merz have jointly condemned the killing of protesters and the violence by security forces in Iran, urging authorities to exercise restraint.
In a statement released on Friday, the three leaders expressed deep concern over reports of violence perpetrated by Iranian security forces.
They called on Iranian authorities to refrain from violence and respect the fundamental rights of citizens, as ongoing protests challenge the Islamic Republic’s regime, which has been in place since 1979.
The leaders emphasised Iran’s responsibility to protect its population and ensure citizens’ rights to free expression and peaceful assembly without fear of retaliation.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned on Friday that the Islamic Republic would not back down in the face of the growing protests, which have persisted for 13 days.
Since the demonstrations began on 28 December, at least 51 protesters, including nine children, have been killed, with hundreds more injured, according to Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights.
