Iranians pelt eggs at German embassy over murder

Around 150 Islamist students pelted the German embassy in Tehran with eggs yesterday in protest at the murder of a pregnant Egyptian woman in a Dresden courtroom, an AFP photographer reported.

Marwa al-Sherbini was stabbed at least 18 times in front of her husband and three-year-old son by a Russian-born German man who has since been charged with her murder.

The Iranian students chanted "Death to Germany! Death to Europe!" as they wrote 'Angela, the Nazi' on a sidewall of the embassy, referring to German chancellor Angela Merkel, the photographer said.

Last Friday, Iran had summoned Herbert Honsowitz, Berlin's ambassador to Tehran, and protested against the murder and urged Berlin to step up efforts to protect the rights of the minorities there.

Muslim groups have dubbed Sherbini's death as the "veil murder" and her killing drew thousands of mourners at her funeral on Monday in Alexandria, Egypt.

Sherbini's husband, geneticist Elwi Ali Okaz, is in a critical condition in a hospital after he too was stabbed by the assailant and also shot in the leg by confused police who took him for the attacker.

The unemployed 28-year-old attacker, identified only as Alex W., was in court appealing against an earlier conviction and fine for calling Sherbini a "terrorist" for wearing the Islamic headscarf during a dispute.