Iranupdated 3h ago2 min read
Iran Summons French Ambassador Pierre Cochard Over Violent Crackdown On Student Protests
Iran summons the French ambassador to protest violent crackdown on student protests. Tehran calls France to respect human rights and peaceful assembly, investigate excessive police force.
15 outlets told this the same way.
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Tehran summons French envoy
Iran summoned France’s ambassador to Tehran to protest what it described as a violent crackdown on student protests in France, with Tehran asking Paris to respect the right to peaceful assembly and to investigate excessive use of force, especially inside educational institutions. Hamid Ahmadi, head of the Human Rights Department at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, told the summons session that the use of French police violence against peaceful assemblies led to the arrest of more than five thousand people and the injury of many protesters with serious injuries causing permanent disabilities and loss of sight for some.
Tehran also condemned French security forces’ storming of classrooms and attacks on students, and it called for an independent mechanism to investigate abuses and ensure an education system that is fair and free of discrimination. Iran International reported that the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday, October 6 that the French ambassador in Tehran, Pierre Cochard, was summoned by Hamid Ahmadi in protest of “violent handling of student protests and human rights violations.”
Claims of classroom assaults
Hamid Ahmadi urged Paris to establish an independent mechanism to investigate serious human rights violations after he pointed to reports and images of security forces and armed police entering classrooms and assaulting students and teachers. The Iranian official said the level of violence recorded against the protesters “cannot be justified under any circumstances,” while he also called on France to prosecute those involved in the excessive use of force and violation of the sanctity of educational institutions.
ISNA News Agency said Hamid Ahmadi reminded the French government of its human rights obligations under relevant international treaties and documents and demanded that Paris respect fundamental human rights and freedoms, particularly the right to peaceful assembly. Mehr News Agency reported that Hamid Ahmadi expressed grave concern that the violent response of French security forces to peaceful demonstrations resulted in injuries and disabilities for a number of protesters, including some who lost their sight, and the arrest of more than 5,000 people.
Pressure and accountability
Iran’s Foreign Ministry linked its summons to a demand that France respect protesters’ legitimate demands for the right to education and a fair and non-discriminatory educational system. Iran International said Ahmadi urged the French government to respect the rights of citizens, especially the younger generation, and to pursue those responsible for human rights violations through judicial means.
“‘The problem is not protest; the problem is the double standard,’ Baghaei said.”
In a separate statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on X that violence against police and damage to public property cannot be justified, while he questioned what he called “the double standard” in how protests are viewed in Iran and France. خبرگزاری برنا quoted Baghaei asking, “Why are the exact same behaviors and criteria interpreted one way when the protester is in Iran, and in a completely different way when the protester is in France?” as he concluded, “The problem is not the protest; the problem is the double standards.”