‘US stands with Iranian women’: Biden amid Ayatollah accusations over protests | World news
The United States stands with the women of Iran “and all citizens who inspire the world with their courage,” Joe Biden said on Monday as views and reports of action against protesters – angered by their freedom to choose on wearing veils or hijabs. – continue to shock the world. “I am deeply concerned about reports of violent crackdowns on peaceful protests in Iran, including students and women, who are demanding their equal rights and basic human dignity,” the US president said in a statement. .
“The United States will impose further charges on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protesters. We will continue to hold Iranian government officials accountable and support the rights of Iranian citizens to protest freely,” he added.
His comments came as Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States and Israel of ‘planning the protests.’ “This chaos has been planned… these chaos and insecurity are designed by the United States and the Zionist regime, and their officials,” he was quoted as saying by the AP news agency.
Read more: Wear a hijab, the US journalist said before an interview with the Iranian president. He said…
In another statement, the White House said it was “shocked and shocked” by the crackdown by Iranian authorities on student protesters, who were angered by the death of a young woman who was in the custody of Iran’s moral police. reports of security authorities responding to peaceful protests by university students with violence and mass arrests. High school students are intelligent young people who should be the future of Iran,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was quoted as saying by news agencies.
These disturbances are “exactly the kind of behavior that causes young Iranians to leave a country by the thousands to seek dignity and opportunity elsewhere,” he added.
UN chief Antonio Guterres has already said he is “concerned” by reports of an increasing death toll, “including women and children.”
Protests in Iran, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, are spreading across the country for a third week despite government efforts to shut down the demonstrations. The 22-year-old Amini was arrested for allegedly violating the strict Islamic dress code in the country. The protests have also spread across the Middle East and into Europe and North America with thousands taking to the streets in different parts of the world in a show of solidarity.
National security forces have responded to the protests with tear gas, steel pellets and in some cases live fire, according to rights groups and widely distributed footage, AP reported. While it is being reported that thousands have been arrested and nearly a hundred lives have been lost, the extent of the loss remains unclear.
(With inputs from companies)
