German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that the European Union (EU) and Germany stood by the Iranian people’s side against the brutal repression of the state’s government.
According to the German weekly Bild am Sonntag newspaper, Baerbock responded to ongoing mass anti-hijab protests across Iran by stating, “Anyone who beats up women and girls in the streets, abducts people who want nothing more than to live freely, arrests them arbitrarily, sentences them to death, is on the wrong side of history.”
She also promised that the EU will enforce travel bans, and entry bans and freeze the accounts of Iranian officials who are attempting to oppress demonstrators.
Free Democratic Party (FDP) Foreign Policy Spokesperson Bijan Djir-Sarai stated that the EU must quickly adopt powerful sanctions that target the Iranian rulers.
He further added that those who are responsible for human rights violations must be held responsible and must not be allowed to enjoy the benefits of freedom in Europe or any part of the world.
Bijan Djir-Sarai also urged the EU to impose a visa ban and freeze their assets in the bloc accordingly.
Germany appears to be collaborating behind the scenes with France, Denmark, Italy, Spain, and the Czech Republic on a bundle of EU sanctions targeting specific Iranian individuals and organizations. The measures are expected to be decided upon when the EU foreign ministers meet on October 17.
