France Responds To Iran Criticism: 'We Don’t Kill Or Blind Protesters'

A number of Iranians who have lost sight in one eye during protests gathered in honor of Hamidreza Rouhi, a 19-year-old protester who was killed by three bullets in November 2022
A number of Iranians who have lost sight in one eye during protests gathered in honor of Hamidreza Rouhi, a 19-year-old protester who was killed by three bullets in November 2022

The spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry reacted to criticism from her Iranian counterpart over the handling of protests, slamming Iran's record of killing and blinding protesters.

Referring to the protests which have erupted in France following the death in police hands of a young Muslim, Anne-Claire Legendre said: “We understand your concern for human rights and the lives of French citizens ... and for this reason, we will not kill anyone with a weapon of war, nor will we shoot an eye to blind it!”

Legendre's comments came after Spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nasser Kanaani “advised the French government and police to take into account the demands of the protesters while exercising restraint and avoiding violence,” the issue widely covered in Iranian state media.

Legendre was referring to the killing of hundreds of protesters by the Iranian regime in the months following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini in September. The Islamic Republic security forces have also been systematically targeting protesters’ eyes.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights on Friday documented over 20 cases of people being blinded in one eye as a result of fire from the security agents during protests, adding that initial data indicates that young women were disproportionately represented among people who had sustained such wounds.

The group claimed that Iran Human Rights researchers have collected and verified information related to many citizens who have lost their sight in one or both eyes as a result of being shot with shotguns or paintball guns in the nationwide protests in recent months. The report also provided a list of cases independently verified by their researchers, noting that the real number is much higher.