Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani met Wednesday with Iran’s ambassador-designate in Rome, Mohammad Reza Saburi, to whom he demanded that Tehran end capital punishment and start a dialogue with protesters.
«Italy is committed to the defense of human rights and democracy, against the death penalty,» Tajani told the media as he left the Farnesina Palace, where he met with Saburi, according to AdnKronos news agency.
Tajani conveyed to the Iranian diplomatic representative Italy’s «concern and indignation and firm condemnation» of the repression of dissidence by the authorities in the context of the protests over the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for wearing the veil incorrectly.
«We will continue to condemn very strongly what is happening. We defend human rights, freedom of the press, freedom of demonstration,» said Tajani, stressing that teenagers aged 14 or 17 «are not matters of public order» and «have nothing to do with the protection of national security».
«The decision to carry out executions of young demonstrators represents a line of no return for Italy (…) No authority can claim the right to take the life of a prisoner,» reproached Minister Tajani, who called death sentences «unacceptable» for both Italy and the European Union.
Finally, Tajani expressed his hope that Tehran will suspend the executions in order to facilitate a rapprochement between Rome and part of the international community, while emphasizing that these words «are not an interference in the internal affairs» of Iran.
The Italian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned Iran’s ambassador-designate in protest against his failure to present his credentials at the Quirinal Palace, as well as to express its disagreement with Iran’s institutional response to the anti-government demonstrations.
The Iranian authorities have so far executed two people convicted for their role in the demonstrations, while several thousand have been arrested. Among them are more than 20 facing the death penalty, according to a report published on December 10 by the local daily ‘Etemad’.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard recently confirmed that more than 300 people have been killed since the start of the protests, in what was the first official toll since the start of the mobilizations following the death of Amini, a member of the Iranian Kurdish minority.
The figure is lower than the one provided by the NGO Iran Human Rights which points to more than 400 deaths due to repression by the security forces.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
