Confrontation between Iranian descent MP in New Zealand and Islamic Republic Ambassador; Killing protesters is a 'crime against humanity'

Golriz Ghahraman, an Iranian descent MP in New Zealand, sharply criticized Reza Nazari Ahari, the Islamic Republic's ambassador, on Thursday, August 3, during a session discussing the systematic abuse of women and the suppression of protesters by the Iranian government, as well as the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini. Nazari Ahari defended the actions of the Islamic Republic in a report to the Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Committee, the first of its kind since last year's nationwide protests. Ibrahim Omar, the only Muslim MP in New Zealand, emphasized his pride in his religion and accused the Islamic Republic of using Islam 'as a tool for torture, for killing women and girls in Iran and some other Muslim countries.' He asked the Iranian ambassador, 'When will the Islamic Republic stop suppressing women and girls?' In response, Nazari Ahari claimed that the protests in Iran were a new phenomenon resulting from foreign interventions, referencing the killing of George Floyd in the U.S. and a teenager in France by police. During Nazari Ahari's remarks, Golriz Ghahraman showed images of the victims of the protests, including Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, to the ambassador. She told the Iranian ambassador in New Zealand, 'She [Zhina] is not just a name. This is her image on the hospital bed. Your sister, as you said, was murdered. I want you to look at her picture while you answer these questions. This was systematic because she was not the first [victim of the Islamic Republic].' Ghahraman continued, stating that the new protests were not unprecedented, and 'hundreds of thousands from my mother's generation protested when you imposed the hijab.' She asserted that no woman's culture allows her to be told what to wear or that she would be killed for not covering her hair. This Iranian descent MP also presented images of imprisoned artist Tomaj Salehi, executed protesters Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, and imprisoned journalists Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi for reporting on Mahsa (Zhina)'s death. Ghahraman stated, 'On behalf of the Green Party... we consider the systematic and widespread killing of protesters in a civilian population as a crime against humanity.' According to Ghahraman, 'The New Zealand government and our committee have a responsibility to act, and if you want to live in our democratic and free country as a representative of that regime, you have a responsibility to act.' The Islamic Republic ambassador reiterated claims about George Floyd's death and the French teenager, stating he does not defend any mistakes, asserting that Mahsa [Zhina] was like a daughter and sister to them, and her death was an accident. Nazari Ahari further claimed that the hijab is part of Iranian culture and attributed the protests to foreign intelligence interventions. Regarding the four-month detention of two New Zealand citizens by the Islamic Republic last year, he denied the accusation of 'hostage-taking,' claiming they took photos from prohibited areas and that the two were always free, only their passports were confiscated. During the protests over Mahsa (Zhina) Amini's death in custody of the morality police, Iranian security forces killed over 500 protesters, including women and children, injured thousands, and arrested over 20,000 others.