"Release imprisoned demonstrators"/ Von der Leyen condemns violent repression of Iranian protesters

2026-01-10 17:48:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Release imprisoned demonstrators"/ Von der Leyen condemns violent

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Saturday for the release of imprisoned Iranian protesters, as anti-government demonstrations in Tehran continue across the country. In a post on X, Von der Leyen said Europe fully supports the Iranian protesters.

“The streets of Tehran and cities around the world echo with the footsteps of Iranian women and men demanding freedom. Freedom to speak, to assemble, to travel and above all to live freely. Europe fully supports them. We unequivocally condemn the violent repression of these legitimate demonstrations. Those responsible will be remembered on the wrong side of history. We call for the immediate release of all imprisoned demonstrators. We call for the restoration of full access to the internet. And we call, finally, for fundamental rights to be respected ,” the post reads.

She called for the immediate release of imprisoned demonstrators and the restoration of internet access, which has been unavailable in Iran since Thursday.

Protests in Iran erupted last December, fueled by public anger over the country's brutal economic situation. Within days, however, they had morphed into open opposition to the country's clerical leadership. Anti-government demonstrations continued on Saturday, amid reports of overwhelmed hospitals and an appeal from the Iranian military to citizens asking them to thwart "enemy plots."

According to the Human Rights Activists in Iran group, at least 65 people had been killed as of Friday, 2,311 people had been arrested and protests had been recorded in 512 locations in 180 cities. Time magazine reported on Friday that more than 200 people had died in the protests.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement on Friday calling on Iranian authorities to refrain from violence. United States President Donald Trump has come out strongly in support of the protesters, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that the US stands with the courageous people of Iran. /CNA