German officials to hold off on deportations to Iran for now
Nov 27, 2022, 3:59 PM | Updated: Nov 28, 2022, 6:00 am
BERLIN (AP) — German security officials agree that people shouldn’t be deported to Iran until further notice because of the tense situation there as anti-government protests are violently suppressed, a minister said Monday.
Bavaria’s state interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, said ahead of a regular conference starting Wednesday of Germany’s top federal and regional security officials that they are united in their approach. Herrmann currently chairs the conference.
“We agree that in principle there should be no deportations there until further notice,” Herrmann said of Iran, German news agency dpa reported. Only in the case of serious criminals and dangerous extremists would authorities consider whether a deportation is still possible, he added.
The unrest in Iran was sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code. It quickly morphed into the most serious challenge to the Iranian establishment since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The protests, now in their third month, have faced a brutal crackdown by Iranian security forces using live ammunition, rubber bullets and tear gas to suppress demonstrations.
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