Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I raised the situation in Iran with the Taoiseach last week and condemned the brutality of the Iranian regime against women and girls who have been asserting their rights. I received an extraordinary letter today from the Iranian ambassador suggesting there was exaggeration in my "emotive expressions", that I had been making loaded comments and that my contribution was characterised by misinformation. I take huge issue with the response of the Iranian ambassador and renew my call on the Taoiseach. How can we maintain relations with a country that treats its own people in such a way, and that is so intent on spreading misinformation about what is going on in Iran? We know that there have been protestors who have died. We understand some 244 protestors have died including 32 children. We have seen reports of arrests of so many people for protesting for basic rights and women and girls that Iran has run out of jail cells. We are seeing of course also Iran continuing to provide kamikaze drones to Russia that are being used to bomb civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. I am renewing my call on the Taoiseach to end diplomatic ties with Iran given all of the terrible brutality the Iranian regime is perpetrating on its own citizens and others.

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