Bríd Smith Urges Government: Don’t Reopen Tehran Embassy Amid Crackdown
Bríd Smith addressed the Dáil on the Iranian protest movement and urged the government not to reopen embassy facilities in Tehran while the regime continues its crackdown. She recounted meeting the Iranian community at the gates of the Dáil, cited the killing of Masha Amini and recent executions, and asked for a concrete expression of solidarity.
Call to withhold embassy reopening
She asked the government to commit that it will not reopen the embassy facilities in Tehran while the regime continues its brutal onslaught against mainly women but also the entire community, and to give an expression of solidarity both immediately and in the long term.
Engagement with the Iranian community
She said she spent half an hour with the Iranian community outside the gates of the Dáil and conveyed their concerns and requests to the government on their behalf.
Claims about the Morill Police and executions
She noted it is three months since Masha Amini was killed in police custody and reported activists' rejection of a regime announcement that the Morill Police had been disbanded, calling it propaganda. She also said another young activist was executed that morning.
Government response on diplomacy
The Government stated it expresses absolute solidarity with the people of Iran who are seeking democracy, human rights and equality for women, LGBT people and people of all religions, and said these issues are raised with the Iranian government and the Iranian ambassador in Ireland.
Decision under review and diplomatic representation
The Government confirmed a charge d'affaires has been appointed and is currently in the German embassy representing Ireland in Iran. Officials said they value lines of communication even with countries holding different values, but that the decision to open a physical embassy in Tehran is under review as the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said.
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I spent half an hour today with the Iranian community outside the gates of the Dáil and it is three months now since Masha Amini was killed in police custody. There was an announcement made by the regime at the weekend that the Morrill Police had been disbanded and this, according to those activists, is utterly untrue. It is propaganda and indeed this morning another young activist was executed by the regime. So my ask on behalf of that movement to you today is that this government expresses its solidarity with the movement and in concrete terms gives a commitment that it will not reopen the embassy facilities in Tehran while the regime continues its brutal onslaught against mainly women but also the entire community. That regime is not acceptable and has to go and this government should give some expression of its solidarity both here today but in the long term. Thank you. Thank you Deputy. The Government expresses its absolute solidarity with the people of Iran who are seeking democracy, who are seeking human rights, who are fighting for equality for women, for LGBT people and people of all religions. I want to express our solidarity on their behalf. These are issues that we raise with the Iranian government and also with the Iranian ambassador that is here in Ireland. In terms of our own plans to reopen an embassy in Tehran, a charge d'affaires has been appointed and is currently in the German embassy representing Ireland in Iran. We take the view in general that it is better to have lines of communications with other countries even if those countries are countries with very different values to ours. That is why we have embassies in many parts of the world that are not democratic, for example, because we think it is better to be able to talk than not to be able to talk at all. But the decision on whether we actually open a physical embassy or not in Iran, that is under review as the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said. Thank you. . . . . . .
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