Following President Joe Biden’s statement that he will impose “further costs” over its response to protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, Iran accused the US of “hypocrisy” on human rights on Tuesday.
Since the 22-year-old Kurdish woman died on September 16 following her arrest by Tehran’s morality police for allegedly violating the country’s strict clothing code for women, protest has erupted across the Islamic Republic.
Numerous individuals — largely protestors but also security personnel — have died as a result of the street violence, and hundreds have been arrested.
It would have been better for Mr. Joe Biden to think a little about the human rights record of his own country before making humanitarian gestures, although hypocrisy does not need to be thought through,” foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said in an Instagram post, reported by Iranian media.
“The US president should be concerned about the numerous sanctions… against the Iranian nation, the sanctions whose imposition against any nation is a clear example of a crime against humanity,” he added.
Kanani was responding to a statement issued by the White House late on Monday in which Biden stated he would impose unspecified more sanctions against Iran later this week in addition to the crushing sanctions already in place over Iran’s nuclear activities.
This week, the United States will be imposing further costs on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protesters. We will continue holding Iranian officials accountable and supporting the rights of Iranians to protest freely,” Biden said.
“The United States stands with Iranian women and all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery,” he added.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the top leader of Iran, charged earlier Monday that Israel and the US were behind the turmoil roiling the nation.
“I say clearly that these riots and the insecurity were engineered by America and the occupying, false Zionist regime, as well as their paid agents,” he said.