Iran Urges France to Avoid Violence against Protesters
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry called on the French government to hear the voice of protesters and refrain from violence against the rallies that have erupted after the police killing of a teenager.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Monday, Nasser Kanaani said the protests in France have been held against police brutality in the wake of the death of a 17-year-old boy who has been shot in the head by the police at a distance of less than a meter.
“Iran is closely monitoring the developments in France,” he added, calling on the French government to observe what it recommends to other countries in dealing with protests.
France needs to hear the voice of protesters, avoid violence, and bear in mind the advice that it gives others on various issues, the Iranian spokesman added.
Hitting back at France for interference in the domestic affairs of Iran, Kanaani said the unrest that broke out in Iran in the autumn of 2022 was a result of interference of the countries that had encouraged violence instead of calling for calm.
He urged France to be mindful of the behavior that entails violence and racial prejudice.
Major cities in France have experienced consecutive nights of protests following the police killing of a 17-year-old of Algerian and Moroccan descent.
The teenager, known as Nahel Merzouk, was fatally shot by police on June 27 in the western Parisian suburb of Nanterre.
Hundreds of people have been arrested as France is rocked by fiery protests.
