Hypocrites! EU back Iran protestors despite supporting Spain’s CLAMPDOWN of Catalan vote

A number of violent clashes between activists and the police have broken out in Tehran over the past week as citizens push for political reform within the dictatorship.

More than 1,000 people have been arrested and at least 21 people have been killed since December 28.

Responding the scenes unfolding in the Middle East powerhouse, the EU said: “The European Union is closely following the ongoing demonstrations in Iran, the increase of violence and the unacceptable loss of human lives.

“For the EU, human rights have always been a core issue in our relationship with Iran.

“Peaceful demonstration and freedom of expression are fundamental rights that apply to every country, and Iran is no exception.”

Iranian authorities have tried to shut down protests by cutting citizens access to social media, which was believed to be being used to organise demonstrations, and by police using extreme methods to disperse those campaigning for change.

Riot police have used water cannons and tear gas on protestors.

However, despite Brussels supporting the people of Iran speaking out against President Hassan Rouhani’s corrupt regime, the elite club failed to support citizens from one of their own member states when campaigning for reform in October.

Catalonia held an independence referendum in October, co-ordinated by the regional government, calling for a split from the Spanish state.

However, the Spanish Government sent in police to disrupt the ballot and were found by Human Rights Watch to have used “excessive force” against “peaceful protestors”.

After 90 per cent of those who voted in the poll supported independence, Spain arrested regional leaders and held fresh elections to the regional parliament.

Independence referendums are banned under the Spanish constitution.

However, rather than support the Catalan referendum, the EU released a statement at the time supporting the view of the Spanish state.

It said: “Under the Spanish Constitution, yesterday’s vote in Catalonia was not legal.

“For the European Commission, as President Juncker has reiterated repeatedly, this is an internal matter for Spain that has to be dealt with in line with the constitutional order of Spain.”

While the EU Commission did speak out against the methods of the police, saying “violence can never be an instrument in politics” they also gave their backing the Madrid Prime Minister.

They added: “We trust the leadership of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to manage this difficult process in full respect of the Spanish Constitution and of the fundamental rights of citizens enshrined therein.”

The European Commission also threatened to remove Catalan from the Brussels bloc if they pressed ahead with independence.

They said: “If a referendum were to be organised in line with the Spanish Constitution it would mean that the territory leaving would find itself outside of the European Union.”