ALWAGHT- Iran has criticized Paris over its handling of student demonstrations, accusing France of selectively applying principles of protest rights and human rights.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei accused France of applying double standards to protests and human rights. He contrasted Paris’s earlier calls for restraint toward Iranian protesters with France’s tougher response to student demonstrations at home.
Baghaei said French officials had previously described unrest in Iran as a “peaceful uprising,” despite reports of violence, while French authorities now characterize similar unrest in France as “urban violence.” He argued that protest and human rights standards should not depend on where demonstrations occur.
The French protests have spread across the country, with hundreds of schools affected by barricades and closures. Students are protesting teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating facilities, and broader economic pressures, while the government has accused far-left groups of fueling the unrest.
More than 5,000 people have reportedly been arrested, most of them minors, while investigations are underway into alleged police brutality. Baghaei cited injuries among protesters as evidence of the harsh response, while French authorities said violence, arson, and damage to public property cannot be justified.
