The European External Action Service spokeswoman called for dialogue between demonstrators and the Iraqi government on Friday 29 November after a further escalation of violence, which has left at least 40 people dead.
Prime Minister Adel Abdel-Mehdi has announced that he will resign.
“An inclusive dialogue between demonstrators and the government is the only way out of the crisis”, the spokeswoman said in a statement, adding that the EU supports the work of the UN assistance mission in Iraq in this regard.
According to the spokesperson, it is also “essential to put an end to the violence which, since the beginning of the unrest in October, has left more than 400 people dead and around 15,000 injured. The use of live ammunition by security forces against demonstrators is unacceptable and those responsible must be held accountable”, she added.
The EEAS spokesperson also denounced the decision of the Communications and Media Commission to suspend the licences of several television channels for their coverage of the demonstrations. In her view, this restricts freedom of the press and freedom of expression and is incompatible with fundamental democratic principles. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)