The Islamic Republic has condemned the “repression of peaceful demonstrations” by Paris
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned France’s harsh response to protests against pension reform, calling on Paris to “talk to its inhabitants and listen to their voices. » With violence on their own streets, French officials should avoid “preach to others” says Tehran.
“We strongly condemn the repression of the peaceful demonstrations of the French people”, the ministry tweeted on Friday. “We call on the French government to respect human rights and avoid using force against its people who are pursuing their claims peacefully. »
France has been rocked by protests since President Emmanuel Macron’s government bypassed parliament last week to pass a controversial pension reform bill that raises the country’s retirement age from 62 to 64 years. More than a million protesters took to the streets across the country on Thursday, and hundreds were arrested in Paris for setting fires and clashing with riot police.
We strongly condemn the repression of peaceful demonstrations by the #French people. ⁰We call on the French government to respect #human rights and avoid using force against its people who peacefully pursue their claims. pic.twitter.com/LmxxVy1TKX
— Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ?? (@IRIMFA_EN) 24 mars 2023
The Council of Europe condemned the government for using « Force excessive » to monitor the protests, while France’s National Consultative Commission on Human Rights claimed that hundreds of protesters had been arbitrarily arrested and subjected to ” boil “ police tactics.
Iran has been heavily criticized by Western countries – including France – for its handling of anti-government protests late last year. The French foreign ministry used nearly identical language in October when it said that “Iran must respect the right to peaceful protest as well as human rights, especially the rights of women and girls,” and demanded “May this repression cease immediately. »
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France criticized for “excessive force” against demonstrations
“The French government should speak to its people and listen to their voice” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani tweeted on Friday. Kanaani shared a video of French police beating protesters in Paris, adding that “this kind of violence” contradicts France “sitting in the chair of moral lessons and preaching to others. »
“The French demonstrators are also waiting to see the collective of European, Australian and Canadian women ministers in support of the French women protesters”, Kanaani continued, referring to a virtual gathering of female ministers hosted by Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly in October, during which they pledged to support “the incredibly brave women of Iran. »
Iranian authorities arrested an unknown number of people during protests last year, although Ayatollah Ali Khamenei granted pardons to more than 22,000 people earlier this month. The protests, which erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody, were instigated by the United States and Israel, the Iranian government has claimed.
