– A leader must not oppress; must not strike his own people; must not kill them. Masud Gharahkhani told the Persian-language news outlet Iran International this evening. The TV channel is based in Great Britain. He refers to the Islamic Republic’s brutal repression of Iranian pro-democracy protesters. So far, 277 have been confirmed killed in the bloody demonstrations. – It is probably now that Gharahkhani’s family fled the Islamic Republic themselves when he was five years old. When he now turns to the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he is not asking the Iranian leadership to moderate. Instead, he tells them to get off. – You have ruled for 44 years. That’s enough now, he says. The Islamic Republic is a dictatorship ruled by Islamic scribes with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader. The Ayatollah can overrule decisions made by the president and has the decisive say in the design of domestic and foreign policy. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is Iran’s powerful leader. Photo: WANA NEWS AGENCY / Reuters Going further than most For years, dissidents have been severely beaten down. When Gharahkhani lends his support to Iranian protesters tonight, it is not the first time. Since the first protest week in September, the president of the Storting has expressed support for the democracy demonstrators in the country. – When I first saw the picture of Mahsa Jina Amini in a coma, I felt I had to say something. I published a video in which I said that I wanted for Iranians the same democratic system of government that I myself live in, he tells Iran International. When asked by news about how the Norwegian authorities should react, he replies that he himself will continue to give the protesters a voice. – In my country Norway, we stand up for democracy and human rights. But in his statements, he goes further than other top politicians, both in Norway and in the world. Large demonstrations Although many have condemned the Iranian regime’s use of violence, few others have expressed that the Iranian clergy should be replaced by a democratic government. However, Gharahkhani’s words are in agreement with all protesters who do not see opportunities for reform, and who are therefore demonstrating against the regime as a whole. Today, as in the previous weeks, there were large demonstrations in several Iranian cities. Demonstrators shouting slogans such as “death to the dictator” battled armed security forces. At one point, security forces dropped stun grenades on the protesters from helicopters. Nevertheless, the demonstrations did not subside. They continue into the night.
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– You have ruled for 44 years. That’s enough now. – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
