Norbert Röttgen, a representative of the Christian Democratic Party in the German parliament (Bundestag), described the federal government's and the Foreign Ministry's policy towards the Islamic Republic as 'shameful' on Friday, December 1. He wrote on the social media platform X that the Foreign Ministry makes its meetings with Iranian regime officials public while not holding any meetings with political activists or the families of prisoners in Iran, or wants such meetings to remain secret. Mr. Röttgen also pointed out the imprisonment of Nahid Taghavi, a dual-national prisoner in Evin prison, stating: 'To date, there has been no meeting between Annalena Baerbock, the Foreign Minister, and Maryam Kalaran, Nahid Taghavi's daughter,' and added: 'The federal government continues to insist on quiet diplomacy and is doing exactly what the Iranian regime wants.' On Thursday, December 1, Röttgen also shared a photo from his meeting with Sima Moradbigi and Masih Alinejad, writing: 'Sima put her life in her hands and took to the streets for freedom,' and added: 'A foreign policy that does not dare to meet with these two out of fear of the mullahs is doomed to fail.' This representative has previously criticized the federal government's foreign policy towards the Islamic Republic. The daughter of Nahid Taghavi speaks about her mother's situation in prison after her 69th birthday. Ghazaleh Sharmeh: Ebrahim Raisi should be held accountable in a court, not accuse countries at the United Nations.
German Christian Democratic Party Representative: Berlin's Foreign Policy Towards the Islamic Republic is Shameful
Norbert Röttgen, a member of the German parliament, criticized the federal government's foreign policy towards Iran, calling it shameful for prioritizing meetings with regime officials over political activists and prisoners' families. His comments highlight ongoing concerns about the treatment of political prisoners in Iran and the effectiveness of Germany's diplomatic approach.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Norbert Röttgen criticized the German government's foreign policy towards Iran, labeling it as 'shameful' for prioritizing meetings with regime officials over political activists and prisoners' families. He highlighted the lack of engagement with activists and the families of prisoners like Nahid Taghavi.
- Röttgen criticized the German Foreign Ministry for publicizing meetings with Iranian officials while avoiding meetings with activists.
- He emphasized the need for more assertive diplomacy, citing the case of Nahid Taghavi, a dual-national prisoner.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Germany has historically engaged in diplomatic relations with Iran, balancing economic interests with human rights concerns. The treatment of political prisoners in Iran remains a contentious issue internationally.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%