The European Parliament has decided to ban all Iranian diplomats and representatives from entering its premises following a deadly crackdown on protests in Iran. The decision was announced on Monday, January 12th by European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.
In a statement published on X, Metsola said the move was a response to the ongoing violence and repression in Iran. “It cannot be business as usual,” she wrote, adding that “this House will not aid in legitimising this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression and murder.”
According to the announcement, the ban applies to all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iran on Monday summoned diplomats in Tehran representing France, Germany, Italy and the UK to object to what it described as support by those countries for the protests that have shaken the Islamic republic, its foreign ministry said.
The EU move comes after weeks of escalating unrest across Iran. Protests erupted nationwide after shopkeepers shut down Tehran’s Grand Bazaar on December 28th, triggered by the collapse of the national currency and rising living costs. Demonstrations have since spread to multiple cities and have developed into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in recent years.
The U.S.-based rights group HRANA has documented at least 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces killed during two weeks of unrest, with more than 10,600 people detained.
