On Saturday 3 January, the spokesman for the European External Action Service called on the Iranian authorities to guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and to allow the free flow of information and access to the internet.
“All individuals arrested for peacefully exercising their rights should be immediately released“, he said in a press release. The spokesman also urged the Iranian security forces to exercise maximum restraint in handling peaceful demonstrations.
“Socio-economic challenges were acknowledged by authorities and should be addressed through inclusive dialogue, not through violence”, he added.
At the end of December, in a statement on behalf of the EU, High Representative Kaja Kallas expressed the EU’s deep concern at the Iranian authorities’ widespread use of arbitrary detention to suppress critical voices in the country, in violation of their obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. She called for all those unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental rights to be released, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, arrested on 12 December. “Human rights defenders must be able to make their voices heard and carry out their legitimate work without risking their freedom”, she stressed.
On Monday 5 January, the head of Iran’s judiciary announced that there would be “no leniency“ for the “rioters”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)