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Obama asks Iran to respect rights of its citizens
US President Barack Obama has condemned Iran's crackdown on protesters and asked the country to abide by international obligations in respecting the rights of its citizens.
US President Barack Obama has condemned Iran's crackdown on protesters and asked the country to abide by international obligations in respecting the rights of its citizens.
"We call upon the Iranian government to abide by the international obligations that it has to respect the rights of its own people," Obama said, as fresh protests erupted against the Iranian Government in which at least eight people have been reportedly killed.
"We call for the immediate release of all who have been unjustly detained within Iran. We will continue to bear witness to the extraordinary events that are taking place there. And I'm confident that history will be on the side of those who seek justice," Obama said.
The US joins with the international community in strongly condemning the "violent and unjust" suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has apparently resulted in detentions, injuries, and even deaths, said the US President.
"For months, the Iranian people have sought nothing more than to exercise their universal rights. Each time they have done so, they have been met with the iron fist of brutality, even on solemn occasions and holy days," he said.
"And each time that has happened, the world has watched with deep admiration for the courage and the conviction of the Iranian people who are part of Iran's great and enduring civilisation," Obama said.
