The protests, which began over soaring inflation, are now calling for an end to the clerical rule of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
South Africa (SA) has finally responded to Iran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters, which has claimed nearly 3 000 lives.
The protests, which began last week over soaring inflation, are now calling for an end to the clerical rule of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Deadly protests
Khamenei on Friday insisted the Islamic Republic would “not back down” in the face of protests after the biggest rallies yet in an almost two-week movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living.
However, despite Iran claiming it had gained control of the protest, the crackdown has drawn widespread criticism from nations across the globe.
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SA ‘concerned’
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the South African government is following the developments in Iran with “concern”.
“The reports of unrest and the subsequent loss of life are concerning, and South Africa urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint. South Africa firmly believes that the right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and freedom of association are universal human rights that must be upheld without exception.
“We therefore call on the Iranian authorities to ensure that citizens exercise their right to protest in peace,” Magwenya said.
Magwenya added that sustainable peace and stability “can only be achieved through solutions that centre the agency of the Iranian people”.
Reporting Iran to UN
On Wednesday, the DA called on International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola to report Iran to the United Nations Human Rights Council over the deaths of protesters.
In a letter to Lamola, DA MP and international relations spokesperson Ryan Smith said that Iran should be reported for flagrant human rights abuses in its attempts to suppress the current uprising.
“The use of such blatantly deadly oppression against civilians by a sitting government is one of the most egregious forms of human rights abuse witnessed anywhere in the world, and brings into sharp question South Africa’s relationship with such a barbaric actor on the international stage.”
Ties with Iran
Iran is a recent addition to the BRICS+ group of nations.
The presence of three Iranian warships off False Bay in Cape Town for military exercises has also drawn international attention to South Africa’s allies, with warnings that it carries political costs.
Speaking to The Citizen, Helmoed-Römer Heitman said the inclusion of Iran risked damaging relations with key trading partners in Europe and the United States (US).
Smith said the Iranian uprisings “echo South Africa’s own struggle for freedom,” including the Sharpeville massacre of 21 March 1960 and the Soweto uprising of 16 June 1976, when peaceful civilian protest was met with brutal state violence.
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