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Mahsa Amini – increasing numbers
of people are taking to the streets

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for her and for many others.
For almost eight weeks now.

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Many girls and women are no
longer covering their hair

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and are taking off their hijab.

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This has long since ceased to be
merely a question of dress codes,

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however. Pupils, students,
mothers and fathers – grandparents –

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all of them are fighting on the
streets for more freedom and justice.

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Freedom and justice in their country: Iran.

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Here in our country, we can barely begin
to imagine how much courage this takes.

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More than 300 killed –
dozens of death sentences

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and more than 14,000 arrests.

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So far.

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Those who demonstrate
against oppression in Iran

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risk their lives, and often also
the lives of their loved ones –

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and face the prospect of
torture and decades in prison.

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Here in Germany, hundreds of thousands
of fellow citizens with Iranian roots

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fear for their relatives.
They are appalled and disgusted

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by what the Mullah regime is
doing to the demonstrators.

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I’m also shocked by the images
that reach us each and every day.

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It is clear that the Iranian
Government is solely responsible

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for this spate of violence.

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And I call to mind the fact that Iran
is a member of the United Nations.

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Iran has committed to uphold –
and to protect – human rights.

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This is the yardstick against
which we measure the Iranian

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leadership’s actions.

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At the United Nations in
September, I said that

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we must pay heed and take action
when human rights are violated.

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That is what we are doing.
We are paying heed: we are witnessing

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what is happening on the streets,
in the lecture halls and in the courtrooms

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of Tehran, Sanandaj, Isfahan and Shiraz.

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We are witnessing the fight
for freedom and justice.

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And we are witnessing how Iranian drones

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are attacking Ukrainian cities
and how they are killing people.

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All of this is completely unacceptable.

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We are calling for an
immediate end to the violence!

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We are calling for the
release of political detainees

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and imprisoned journalists.

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But words alone are not enough
in the face of this brutality

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and contempt for human life.

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This is why we are taking action.

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The European Union has already adopted
a number of sanctions packages.

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The principal focus is on
all those who are responsible

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for this violence against their own people.

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Further sanctions are due to
be added to this next week.

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We want to continue to step up the pressure

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on the Revolutionary Guard Corps
and the political leadership.

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We are supporting efforts
to gather evidence

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so that the perpetrators
can be brought to justice.

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We want a special session of the UN
Human Rights Council to be convened.

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The focus here is always on investigating
the Iranian regime’s crimes.

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Iran’s Foreign Minister is said to have
threatened Germany with consequences

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for this position and for our actions.

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I can only say this to
the leadership in Tehran:

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what kind of government does it make
you if you shoot at your own citizens?

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Those who act in such a way
must expect us to push back.

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My message to the
demonstrators and to citizens

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with Iranian roots here in Germany is this:

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we stand for everything
that you are calling for

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– for human rights and women’s rights.

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We stand shoulder to shoulder
with the Iranian people.