The German Foreign Ministry called on its citizens to leave Iran amid protests over the threat of arrest and jail time. The statement was published on November 3 on the agency's website.
Individuals with dual citizenship are particularly at risk, the statement highlights:
“For German citizens, there is a risk of being arbitrarily arrested, interrogated and sentenced to long prison terms. First of all, dual citizens who have Iranian citizenship in addition to German citizenship are at risk. There have been a large number of arrests of foreign nationals in the recent past.”
The ministry also recalled that protests and clashes between citizens and security forces began in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in a hospital on September 16, three days after she was arrested and beaten by the vice police in Tehran. The German Foreign Ministry notes that the police and security forces use violence against demonstrators, there are dead and wounded.
“In the immediate vicinity of the demonstrations, arbitrary arrests are being made, including foreign citizens. There may be extensive restrictions on communication services (especially mobile internet, Instagram, WhatsApp, VPN) and these are expected to continue.”
In addition, the police can subject citizens to a thorough search and confiscate property, check phones, laptops, tablets, routes entered in electronic maps and navigation systems. Using drones as a hobby, for example, could be classified as espionage, even with prior authorization, the statement said.
The vice police arrested Mahsa Amini, 22, on September 13 in Tehran, allegedly for violating the country's strict hijab law. The family was told that she would be released from the police station after a "re-education session". She died in an Iranian hospital on 16 September. Witnesses reported that Amini was beaten in a detention van, but this was denied by police. Doctors diagnosed Amini with a stroke and a heart attack, her kidneys failed, and the girl fell into a coma. Officials also deny all allegations and say that the deceased simply started having heart problems. After that, protests erupted in western Iran.