Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said
Friday Italy didn't want to meddle in Iran's internal affairs
but the Islamic Republic should call an end to death penalties
being meted out to protesters against the mid-September killing
of a young Kurdish-Iranian woman by hijab police.
"We do not want to sour relations. I have said very clearly that
I have no intention of interfering in Iran's internal politics.
I have not received any member of the internal opposition
because I do not want it to be thought that Italy is taking
sides," said Tajani said as he left Montecitorio, the parliament
building in Rome.
"We only ask for an end to the death penalty and the violent
repression of protesters and that there be a dialogue between
the government and the protesters, especially with young people
and women,' the Italian foreign minister added.
Premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday warned Iran to stop its
repression of a wave of protests that started when the young
Kurdish woman was killed by hijab police, saying that if it
didn't then Italy's position would change.
What is happening in Iran "for us is unacceptable and we will
not tolerate it any longer, we have always had a dialogue
approach but, if these repressions" in Iran "should not cease
and there is no turning back, Italy's attitude will have to
change," the premier said at her year end press conference.
She said the possible change would have to be the subject of
international consultations.
Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Tajani on Wednesday
told Iran's new ambassador to Italy that death sentences against
protesters involved in demonstrations sparked by the the
mid-September death in hijab patrol custody of 22-year-old
Iranian-Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini must stop, amid reports of
police atrocities against women and girls as well as a growing
count of executions.
One of the latest deaths was that of a 14-year-old girl called
Masoomeh with severe vaginal injuries, while a 12-year-old girl
was repeatedly raped and killed for removing her hijab in school
just before Christmas.
Another recent victim of the Iranian authorities was a
17-year-old boy.
Meanwhile, the Iranian regime has stepped up executions of
protesters.
On Tuesday a picture of a 25-year-old chess champion not wearing
a hijab, Sara Khadim al-Sharia, went viral just as Iranian
President Ebrahim Raisi launched the umpteenth anathema against
protesters saying "we will have no pity".
Meloni has on several occasions stated that the bloody and
brutal crackdown on dissent in the Asian country is
unacceptable.
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