Western diplomats and the UN human rights chief appealed Thursday to Iran's government to halt a bloody crackdown against protesters at a special Human Rights Council session to discuss a bid for greater scrutiny of the country's "deteriorating" rights situation.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who was on hand, said the situation presented "a test of our courage." Khadijeh Karimi, deputy of the vice president for Women and Family Affairs in Iran, criticized the Western effort as part of a "politically motivated move of Germany to distort the situation of human rights in Iran."
Karimi acknowledged the "unfortunate decease" of Amini and said "necessary measures" were taken afterward, including a creation of a parliamentary investigative commission. She accused Western countries of stoking riots and violence by intervening in Iran's internal affairs. "I call on the authorities immediately to stop using violence and harassment against peaceful protesters and to release all those arrested for peacefully protesting, as well as crucially, to impose a moratorium on the death penalty," he added.