Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that arrests made of people linked to Britain showed London’s “destructive” role in recent Iranian protests.
When asked by a journalist to comment on the announcement made in Tehran Sunday about seven British-linked arrests, Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said that “Some countries,” especially the one mentioned, played an unconstructive part in the latest developments in Iran.
Their role was destructive, and they incited riots.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated on Sunday that seven people, some of them holding dual nationality were detained for protests against the government that had rocked Iran.
According to the British foreign ministry, it requested additional information from Iranian authorities regarding reports of dual Iranian nationals being arrested.
Kanaani stated that Tehran had not only notified their respective governments but also “communicated the crimes to them”.
He stated that the “humanitarian” reasons allowed the detainees to communicate with their families over Christmas.
Tehran blames foreign enemies and agents for the orchestration of protests. This popular rebellion has been led by Iranians of all social levels, challenging the country’s clergy rulers in the boldest way since 1979.
Since the beginning of the unrest, it has taken more aggressive measures against dual nationals and arrested dozens. These actions have drawn international criticism and isolated Islam Republic.
HRANA, a rights group, stated that 507 protestors had been shot dead, with 69 of them minors, as of Sunday. According to the rights group HRANA, 66 security personnel were also killed. It claimed that 18516 protesters were believed to be in custody.
Kanaani stated that the files for some detainees were complete, but others are still under investigation.