Germany has summoned the Iranian ambassador over the country’s “brutal” crackdown on protesters, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday, as European nations try to ramp up pressure on Tehran to end the bloodshed.
France has also summoned the Iranian envoy to the country, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said, following similar moves by the United Kingdom and Denmark.
Iran has been gripped since December 28 by its most severe protests in years. What began as demonstrations by shopkeepers over a sharp fall in the value of the Iranian rial and mounting economic hardship quickly spiralled into nationwide protests against the country’s hardline Islamic rulers.
Activists say the security forces have responded using brutal tactics, including firing tear gas and bullets.
The Oslo-based human rights group Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) says at least 648 people have been killed since the protests erupted.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) also puts the death toll at around 650, including 505 protesters – nine of whom are said to be minors aged under 18.
IHRNGO said that some estimates put the toll at over 6,000, while more than 10,000 are believed to have been arrested.
It is impossible to verify the figures, also due to the ongoing internet blackout imposed by the authorities.