Australia summons Iranian diplomat over use of force against protesters

ANKARA (AA) – Australia on Tuesday summoned a senior Iranian diplomat in Canberra and lodged a protest over the use of force against protesters.

“The Australian Government has again called in Iran’s Chargé d'Affaires over the Iranian regime’s horrific suppression of protests. We will continue to work with our international partners and within government to increase pressure on Iran over its egregious human rights abuses," Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong tweeted.

Speaking at the parliament, the Australian top diplomat said that they have also received concerning reports of surveillance and harassment of protesters in Australia, including threats made to their families in Iran.

"We have made these concerns clear to Iran and the Department of Home Affairs is engaging with the community," she added.

"People would have been following events in Iran closely and I think all of us would have been moved by the image overnight by the Iranian football team standing silent during their Iranian regime's anthem and this was a courageous act," she said.

She was referring to the Iranian national football team on Monday who refused to sing their national anthem before the match against England in the 2022 FIFA World Cup to protest the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Iran has been rocked by protests since mid-September after the custodial death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by the country’s morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic dress code.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid