TEHRAN - The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi on Thursday censured German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas’s remarks about the recent protests in Iran, calling his statements unfair and irresponsible which are aimed at misleading public opinion about Belin’s indifference towards economic terrorism against Tehran. 

In response to a question by a lawmaker, Mass on Thursday said Germany condemns what he called “crackdown” on protestors in Iran. 

“However, we do not know the exact number of death toll, but it seems that hundreds (of people) have been killed due to crackdown on recent protests,” Maas was cited as saying by DW news network. 

In reaction to Mass’ remarks, Mousavi said, “The world’s public opinion has not thus far forgotten how Germany armed the criminal regime of Saddam, the Iraqi former dictator, with chemical weapons which were used against the Iranian and Iraqi citizens in the war between Iran and Iraq.”

“Such irresponsible and meddling statements can’t hide some European countries’ ignorance in fulfilling their commitments under the nuclear deal as well as their indifference toward economic terrorism against Iran by the United States,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman notes. 

Saddam Hussein’s army gassed Iranian soldiers and civilians and Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s.

Mousavi called on Germany to avoid biased approach toward issue of human rights.

“It is expected that Germany, instead of exercising non-professional biased policies, to resort to preliminary principles of human rights with open eyes and a comprehensive impartial approach,” Mousavi remarked. 

“Such irresponsible and meddling statements can’t hide some European countries’ ignorance in fulfilling their commitments under the nuclear deal as well as their indifference toward economic terrorism against Iran adopted by the U.S.,” Mousavi went on to say. 

The Foreign Ministry official said it is better that Germany and some other European countries look at their own record in handling protests and sale of huge consignments of weapons to the region which have brought misery for the people.

“The German police’s move in suppressing demonstrators participating in protests during the G20 summit of heads of state in Hamburg in 2017 and dispatching huge quantities of arms and ammunition to Western Asia by some European countries which has ended in war crimes, destruction of people’s properties and massacre of innocent children and women in the region, including in Yemen, will never be forgotten by the public opinion worldwide.” 

On November 15, the government increased the gasoline price. However, the legitimate public protests against the price increase were directed at creating chaos through attacks on public and private properties, forcing law enforcement forces to step in to stop saboteurs. 

Certain Western officials and foreign-based opposition groups, such as the MKO and monarchists, have been exaggerating about the number of the dead in the protests.

Also on Tuesday, Mousavi reacted to a statement by the newly-appointed High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, noting that the EU was making a political and instrumental use of human rights.

He said such approach was intended to isolate sovereign states.

In his statement, which was published on Monday, Borrell claimed that Iran used widespread and disproportionate force against nonviolent protesters.

“Observing the people’s rights is a principle and national security necessity for the Islamic Republic of Iran as a democratic establishment,” Mousavi stressed at the time.

Also earlier this month, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution urged relevant state bodies to honor Islamic mercy in regard to those who committed violent acts and caused insecurity in the protests.

The call by the Leader came in response to a request by Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani on how to deal with those who were killed or wounded in the protests as well as those who acted violently.

The Leader said those who were killed without being involved in fueling riots should be considered martyrs and their families should receive stipends.

On others (those who instigated riots or committed violent acts under the influence of anti-Islamic Revolution propaganda), the Leader said each group must be treated in a way that is closer to the Islamic mercy.

Shamkhani had prepared a report according to a verdict by the Leader soon after the eruption of protests to realize the root causes and reasons behind the unrest and providing support for the families of the victims.

The Supreme National Security Council’s report had suggested that, within the existing legal framework, those ordinary citizens who were killed during the protests innocently without any destructive role, should be recognized as martyrs and their family should also be subject to services by the Martyrs Foundation.

In the meantime, the report had suggested that those who were killed in the protests in any way should be entitled to receive Diyeh (blood money based on Islamic law) and their family members should also be appeased.

Shamkhani also visited the victims’ families in the province of Tehran on Thursday to appease them.

MJ/PA