CDU leader Friedrich Merz has spoken out in favor of granting protection in Germany to Iranians fleeing violence in their own country. The demonstrations in Iran also highlighted the value of freedom in Germany, Merz emphasized last night on the ZDF program “Maybrit Illner Spezial”.
“And this freedom includes the responsibility that we naturally take in such people here and give them protection.” It is about a protection status “that enables them to stay in Germany, study and work in Germany.” This is a “humanitarian obligation”.
Green Party leader Omid Nouripour expressed his frustration at the European Union’s pace of action against the leadership in Iran. “The EU sanctions that have now been imposed on Iran are a step forward,” Nouripour said. However, Europe needs to move faster than the Iranian leadership. “The direction is right, the speed isn’t.”
The Greens leader also renewed his call for a speedy closure of the Islamic Center Hamburg (IZH). The IZH is “the espionage network of the regime in Germany, from which intimidation is also organized against Iranians or German-Iranians”. This had to be “put a stop to it”. The IZH is classified as extremist by the Hamburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The agency regards the facility as an outpost of Tehran.
