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June 14, 2009

EU Voices Concern on Iranian Post-Election Violence
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=24C3160:A6F02AD83191E160211F17883B32E7DAA13B8D4F2090AB2B&
 
A statement Sunday from the Czech EU presidency also expressed hope the
outcome of the election will not hinder dialogue on Iran's nuclear
program 
Riot police in front of cloud of tear gas as supporters of Mir Hossein
Mousavi clash with police in Tehran, 13 Jun 2009The European Union is
voicing concern about Iran's crackdown on demonstrators protesting the
re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A statement Sunday from
the Czech EU presidency also expressed hope the outcome of the election
will not hinder dialogue on Iran's nuclear program. It says the EU
expects the new Iranian government to respect its international
obligations. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the
crackdown on Iranian protesters unacceptable. He also said the landslide
victory reported by election authorities for the incumbent president
raises questions of irregularities that require "a comprehensive
explanation."France also voiced concern, with a close advisor to
President Nicolas Sarkozy Henri Guaino saying "what is happening in Iran
is not good news for anyone."Elsewhere, Afghanistan's President Hamid
Karzai congratulated Mr. Ahmadinejad on his victory. In a statement, Mr.
Karzai also praised Iran's large voter turnout and said he hopes that
ties between Tehran and Kabul will continue to improve. Israeli Foreign
Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Saturday that Mr. Ahmadinejad's victory
means the international community must act in an uncompromising way to
prevent a nuclear Iran, to stop its support for terror groups, and to
halt its undermining of Middle East stability. Israel is a frequent
target of Mr. Ahmadinejad's inflammatory rhetoric. The Iranian president
has called for an end to Zionism and has described the Holocaust as a
myth. The Arab League congratulated Mr. Ahmadinejad for his election win
and expressed hope for improved relations with the Arab world. Iran's
state news agency said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the
Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad also congratulated
President Ahmadinejad. Iran is a staunch supporter of Hamas.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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