Two detained after tearing down Iranian flag at Berlin embassy

Two men have been detained after allegedly tearing down the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the country’s embassy in Berlin, German police confirmed.

The incident occurred on January 13 when demonstrators, many waving the historical pre-1979 Iranian flag, staged a protest outside the embassy in southwest Berlin. According to police, the men climbed over the embassy fence while security guards were distracted by the rally, DW reports.

During the attempted takeover, the men allegedly tried to hoist the pre-revolutionary flag after removing the current Iranian flag, but were ultimately unsuccessful. Embassy security reportedly used pepper spray to subdue the two individuals, aged 28 and 33, who were subsequently detained outside the compound.

An investigation has been launched into six individuals suspected of property damage, trespassing, and desecrating national symbols, police added.

The Berlin protest is part of a wave of demonstrations across Europe denouncing the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on domestic protests. Earlier this week, demonstrators at the Iranian embassy in London similarly attempted to replace the Islamic Republic’s flag with the pre-1979 emblem.

By Vafa Guliyeva