Rhineland-Palatinate suspended deportations to Iran for three months, citing a worsening human rights situation and risks to deportees’ life and freedom.

The western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate suspended deportations to Iran effective immediately. State Interior Minister Katharina Binz cited Iran’s brutal crackdown on protesters and said the human rights situation has been marked by systematic oppression for years. Binz said people sent back to Iran face real risks to their life and freedom. The suspension is set for three months, with convicted criminals and people deemed to pose a security risk exempted.