Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned France’s ambassador to Tehran, Pierre Cochard, on Tuesday in protest at what it described as violent treatment and widespread human rights violations during student protests in France, which involved tens of thousands of secondary-school students calling for improved education conditions.
French ambassador summoned as Tehran sets out demands
Hamid Ahmadi, acting head of the Foreign Ministry’s General Directorate of Human Rights, summoned the French ambassador. Ahmadi reminded him of the French government’s human rights obligations under relevant international treaties and instruments, particularly respect for fundamental freedoms and French citizens’ right to peaceful assembly.
The Iranian official expressed deep concern over what he called “the violent treatment of peaceful gatherings by French security forces”, saying it had left a number of protesters injured and disabled, with some losing their sight, in addition to more than 5,000 people being arrested. He said the use of such force against protesters taking part in peaceful gatherings could not be justified.
Iranian criticism of security forces’ handling
Ahmadi referred to published reports and images that he said showed security forces and armed police entering classrooms and beating students and teachers. He described the protesters’ demands as legitimate, foremost among them the basic right to education and access to a fair, non-discriminatory education system, and called on the French government to respect citizens’ legal rights.
The movement began with a call by secondary-school students in various parts of France, before unions and teachers joined it to demand better educational conditions. The protests saw serious incidents of violence, while security forces’ treatment of some demonstrators prompted criticism and calls for investigations into allegations of excessive use of force.
France’s Interior Ministry said on Monday evening that the General Inspectorate of the National Police, the body responsible for overseeing the police, had opened 10 investigations since the movement began.
In an attempt to ease the crisis, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu put forward 5 proposals, calling for decisions on them to be reached before the end of October.
