Zelenskyy on Iran unrest: Regime that kills so many people doesn't deserve to exist
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the need to change the ruling regime in Iran, where numerous protests are currently taking place.
"We support the position on Iran – the regime that has been there for so many years and has killed so many people does not deserve to exist. Changes are needed. Changes are also needed here, in Europe: the bloodshed that Russia started and which Russia is only prolonging, must end," Zelenskyy said in an evening video address on Tuesday.
As reported, the actions of Iran's security forces against nationwide protests have led to the deaths of at least 538 people, even more people are considered dead, and over 10,000 have been detained over the past two weeks. Of the dead, 490 were protesters and 48 were members of the security forces. Restrictions on internet and telephone connections have made it difficult to assess the scale of the protests from abroad, and the Iranian government does not provide official figures on casualties.
Later, the editorial board of Iran International reported that at least 12,000 people were killed in the crackdown on protests over two consecutive nights, Thursday and Friday, January 8 and 9. According to information received, those killed were mostly shot by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij forces. This killing was completely organized, and not the result of "sporadic" and "unplanned" clashes.
