Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh agus cuirim féin fáilte roimh an Aire chuig an díospóireacht anocht. Fáiltím an seal ní hamháin labhairt ar an rún atá ós ár gcomhair ach tacú leis go huile is go hiomlán chomh maith.

The Minister is very welcome. I want to begin by expressing my sympathy and that of Sinn Féin to the family and friends of Zhina Mahsa Amini. Zhina was the woman's Kurdish name. She was killed following her arrest by the grotesquely named and sinister morality police. Sinn Féin supports this timely and important motion from Senator Chambers. The women of Iran, Kurdish women and all women, as well as those across the country who are supporting them in their campaigns for progressive change in human rights, are in desperate need of expressions of solidarity internationally, especially at this most challenging time. Cosúil le mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Ward, ba mhaith liom a chloisteáil faoi na céimeanna gur féidir linn a ghlacadh anseo in Éirinn chun tacú go praiticiúil leo siúd atá ag streachailt faoi láthair. The Iranian Government must hear those expressions, especially in parliamentary institutions such as this. Today in this Chamber we stand with all the women of Iran. We also stand with women suffering oppression elsewhere around the world and with the women who are resisting that oppression all over the world, not least in places like Palestine.

I thank Senator Chambers for tabling this motion and giving us an opportunity this evening to express our unequivocal condemnation of the outrageous and violent response of the Iranian authorities to the widespread and spontaneous outbreak of peaceful protests across the country. I also want to echo the calls of my colleague Deputy Brady in the Dáil last week for the Minister to call in the Iranian ambassador to register the Irish Government's protest at the death of Zhina Amini and the manner in which the authorities in Iran have responded to the ongoing protests.Sinn Féin has called for an independent inquiry to determine the exact cause of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini. This inquiry must be independent and transparent. I call on the Government to use its position on the UN Security Council to ensure the fate of this current protest movement does not follow the course of previous rounds of protests, when widespread arrests and state violence ended hopes of reform.

We have witnessed the arbitrary arrest of journalists and other chroniclers of the protests, along with the closure of the Internet, as noted by many colleagues already. As the Minister is aware, these attacks are an attack on free speech. They also have all the appearance of an attack on the Kurdish people and Kurdish self-determination. It is important that we do not lose sight of that in the context of this latest struggle. The international community at all levels must use its influence to make sure the Iranian authorities end their violent and lethal crackdown on protesters.

The Iranian authorities must arrest and bring to justice the killers of Jina Mahsa Amini. Her family and friends deserve nothing less than full justice for this appalling crime. We remember all those killed, as noted by Senator Chambers in her opening remarks, feasta. The killers of Jina Amini need to be uncovered, named and held to account.

I offer my support for the right of the Iranian people, particularly the women of Iran, to exercise their right to protest at the suppression of their human rights. It is an offence against human decency that in this day and age a woman would be prosecuted because a male-dominated regime has decreed that women must be forced to wear a particular headdress to protect their honour. As my colleague, Seanadóir Boylan, stated on the Order of Business today, women must be free to choose what they want to wear and where, when and how they want to wear it.

This is not the first time we have witnessed outbreaks of protests across Iran by ordinary people seeking human rights equality and dignity. In these circumstances, every avenue open to the institutions of government in this State must be used. The women of Iran, Kurdish and otherwise, deserve nothing less than full justice, dignity and respect from the Iranian authorities. Like Senator Ward, I look forward to hearing what practical steps we can take to support and show our solidarity with those protesting in Iran at the moment.