Mick Wallace criticises protests in Iran and ‘propaganda’ against regime

MEP for Ireland South Mick Wallace has criticised protests in Iran in the European Parliament, accusing some demonstrators of violence and destruction and saying such civil unrest “would not be tolerated anywhere”.

A brutal crackdown by state security forces has failed to quell the women-led protests, which have swept Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody after her arrest by morality police for wearing an improper hijab.

Speaking in the European Parliament, Mr Wallace told the debate there had been “violence and murders by some protesters, untold damage and destruction”.

“It would not be tolerated anywhere,” the MEP told the chamber.

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Mick Wallace criticises protests in Iran and ‘propaganda’ against regime

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He said there had been a “campaign of propaganda and destabilisation” against Iran, echoing the regime’s view that the protests are engineered by its enemies to cause regime change.

“Iran is under attack,” Mr Wallace said. “The media assault is intense.”

The violent response to the protests by Iran’s security forces has killed an estimated 300 people, including 40 children, while 14,000 people have been arrested according to estimates given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Along with his criticism, Mr Wallace also said that some protests were peaceful, and that Iranians had been unjustly imprisoned and killed.

“There are peaceful protests. Many Iranians are unjustly imprisoned and should be released, and far too many have been killed by the aggressive crackdown,” he said.

The intervention came after Mr Wallace abstained on a vote to grant Ukraine financial assistance along with his Left group independent colleague Clare Daly, and voted against a resolution to deem Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.

In a separate intervention, Mr Wallace described the vote on Russia as an “antagonistic performance” and “absurd”, because “Nato is one of the blood-drenched terrorist groups to curse this Earth”. In response to the vote, the European Parliament suffered a retaliatory cyberattack by pro-Kremlin hackers that caused disruption during its plenary session.

Coming in this context, the reaction to Mr Wallace’s intervention inside the parliament was described as “disgusted”, with one staffer commenting that “the Irish community are embarrassed”.

Another, however, said the response was muted, as controversial interventions from the MEP had become routine.

In comments issued in response to Mr Wallace’s speech, Fine Gael Dublin MEP Frances Fitzgerald said it was important for the EU to “show that we stand clearly on the side of Iranian women”, saying they had “demonstrated incredible bravery and strength in showing their outrage at the death of one of their own”.

“It is shameful to see members of the European Parliament supporting regimes that kill, persecute and commit the most horrific crimes against their own peoples,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

“As politicians, the only people we should be answerable to are the voters in our constituencies. Not the brutal regimes who inflict such cruelty and who seek to undermine democracy around the world.

“We have long known that the Iranian government supports cruel and barbaric treatment of its own citizens, especially women.”

Mr Wallace did not respond to a request for comment.