Iran reacts sharply to criticism from German chancellor on protests

Berlin

The Iranian government lashed out at German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday, warning that his comments on the protests sweeping the country would cause “damage over the long-term.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani described Scholz’s comments as “provocative, interfering and undiplomatic” and said they were sabotaging the historical relationship between the two countries.

“We recommend that the German government find the way back to discretion so as to avoid further disruption of bilateral relations,” Kanaani said.

Speaking in a podcast on Saturday evening, Scholz expressed sharp criticism of the way the Tehran government has dealt with the protests.

“What kind of government are you that shoots at its own people?” he queried. Anyone who acted in this way should expect resistance, the chancellor added.

Amid criticism of its governments rule abroad, the Iranian parliament has also denied reports of a call by a majority of MPs for harsher punishments for Iran’s detained protesters.

“The letter of 227 MPs mentioned in the media represented forged documents and the reports in this regard are thus denied,” the parliament announced in a press statement on Sunday.

Some MPs had only called for harsh punishments for those involved in murder and bloodshed during the unrest, the statement said, according to Fars news agency.

Last week, 227 of the total 290 MPs had issued a statement accusing demonstrators across the country of “war against God” and demanding that the judiciary pass appropriate sentences, according to media reports.

Islamic law dictates that the charge of “war against God” may result in the death penalty, which is how the Iranian parliament’s statement was interpreted abroad.

-Ranjith Perera-