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Basij militias during a military parade: "Serious role of some embassies"
Photo:
Vahid Salemi / dpa
In Iran, the tone intensified against Germany.
Several student organizations of the notorious Basij militias are now calling for action against German diplomats in an open letter to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the Fars news agency reported.
"With the identification of the serious role played by some embassies in the recent unrest, including Germany and England, the scene of the confrontation has changed," it said.
The appeal followed an increasingly hostile attitude towards European countries by hardliners in Iran.
The state is obliged to stand up to the "enemies in diplomatic clothes", the letter said.
“The question here is: In such an environment, where national security is the target of these embassies' shameless actions, is it sufficient to simply subpoena the ambassador?” It was not immediately clear what action they were asking for instead.
The Basij-e Mostasafin (Mobilized of the Oppressed) is a paramilitary unit in Iran.
Formed after the Islamic revolution in 1979 and recruited from young sections of society, the militia plays a central role in suppressing protests in the country.
The militia is part of the Revolutionary Guards and is said to have several hundred thousand supporters loyal to the system.
After the nationwide protests broke out, Iran's leadership had already blamed EU states and the USA for the protests.
The trigger for the mass protests in Iran was the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini.
The so-called morality police had arrested her because she is said to have violated Islamic dress codes.
The woman died in police custody on September 16.
Since her death, thousands have been demonstrating across the country against the government's repressive course and the Islamic system of rule.
sol/dpa
