Mahsa Amini.
A young woman who had her whole life ahead of her was violently torn from her life.
A regime that tramples on human rights and oppresses its own people in the most brutal way is responsible for their deaths.
And only to desperately secure their own claim to leadership in a society that has long since stripped the regime of its legitimacy.
These days we see death-defying women and men on the Iranian streets, who want to finally free themselves from the shackles of their cruel oppressors. We see freedom fighters who risk their lives in their fight for dignity, human rights and self-determination.
What we see is a revolution.
Europe must act
If the European community, which is founded on the very values for which the Iranian people are being slaughtered by their own leadership, wants to stand up credibly and unwaveringly for freedom and human rights worldwide, it must act.
We can no longer carry warm words alone like a monstrance.
It is clear what must happen immediately: the Iranian regime's brutal repression of peaceful demonstrations must be stopped immediately.
The circumstances of Mahsa Amini's death must be fully clarified by independent authorities.
All violent acts that have already taken place by the security authorities in Iran must be investigated independently.
However, it would be foolish to assume that the Iranian regime will do so unawares.
It is therefore of paramount importance that Europe now develops a concrete strategy for dealing with the Islamic Republic.
Open new information channels
First, European states must offer full support to Iranian civilians.
The mullahs and their Revolutionary Guards have almost completely eliminated all opposition groups in Iran in recent years.
They bit their teeth off the militant women's movement.
Iranian women's demands are not limited to individual reforms of the system, but focus on what the regime fears most: human rights, freedom and democracy.
European states that have committed themselves to a feminist foreign policy out of conviction must not abandon these courageous women.
It is essential that the press and internet censorship in Iran is ended.
Comprehensive access to information channels must be opened up to the entire population immediately.
To do this, the EU must immediately examine what technical options are available to promote free access to information, for example by setting up a VPN infrastructure.
Those who fear for their lives in Iran must be given the opportunity to apply for a humanitarian visa at German diplomatic missions in Iran and in neighboring Iranian countries.
In the long term, foreign policy decisions relating to Iran must be subject to prior hearings of free-democratic Iranian women's and human rights organizations, which receive special attention.
EU sanctions against the Iranian oligarchy
Secondly, the EU must adopt powerful sanctions that target the Iranian oligarchy as quickly as possible.
It must not be the case that members of the moral police, members of the Revolutionary Guard and other regime loyalists who are responsible for the most serious violations of human rights can simultaneously enjoy all the advantages of freedom in Europe.
Accordingly, a visa ban must be imposed and assets in Europe frozen.
Should this project not be possible in the short term with the unanimity of all EU states, Germany must lead the way and implement the sanctions within the framework of an alliance of the willing countries in Europe.
One thing is clear: the sanctions must not affect the Iranian civilian population, but the regime.
Talk about human rights on an equal footing in the nuclear deal
Thirdly, the EU must ask itself the urgent question of whether the continuation of the JCPoA nuclear agreement with Iran is still justifiable in the light of the dramatic developments.
Negotiating with a regime that has lost all legitimacy is highly problematic.
A continuation of the nuclear negotiations with Iran is only comprehensible if the blatant human rights violations are discussed at the same time and on an equal footing.
Iran's extremely conflicting geopolitical role must also be openly discussed.
Iran is shaking the entire Near and Middle East.
Be it Iraq, Syria or Yemen – Iran is responsible for destabilization and blatant human rights violations in the region.
In addition, the Iranian leadership is using drones to support Russia in the illegal war against Ukraine and is also pursuing the goal of wiping Israel off the map.
Without serious and equal consideration of these aspects, the continuation of the nuclear agreement is pointless.