TEHRAN: Iran’s Foreign Ministry summoned France’s ambassador on Tuesday over alleged excessive police force against student protesters, demanding an investigation and respect for peaceful assembly.
French ambassador Pierre Cochard met Hamid Ahmadi, the ministry’s acting director general for human rights affairs. Ahmadi called for an independent mechanism to examine alleged violations of protesters’ rights.
He cited reports of injuries, while expressing concern that police and security forces had entered schools and classrooms.
He also urged France to honour its obligations under international human rights treaties. French authorities have reported more than 5,000 arrests during the unrest, most involving minors.
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Officials have described injuries among students, school staff and police, alongside damage or disruption to dozens of schools.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused France of applying different standards to protests at home and in Iran.
“The problem is not protest; the problem is the double standard,” he wrote on X. Although he criticised France’s handling of the demonstrations, Baghaei said violence against police and damage to public property were unjustifiable.
He argued that geography should not determine protesters’ rights. Students began demonstrating in September over deteriorating school facilities, teacher shortages and other education grievances.
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Since then, the movement has spread across France and, at its height, affected more than 1,000 schools. Iran summoned French ambassador Pierre Cochard over allegations of excessive police force against student protesters.
Iran has summoned France’s ambassador in Tehran over excessive police force against student protesters, calling for respect for human rights and the right to peaceful assembly.
