France Says Iran, Others ‘Cynically’ Instrumentalized Recent Protests

A person stands near a burning vehicle amid unrest following the death of a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, France, July 1, 2023.
A person stands near a burning vehicle amid unrest following the death of a 17-year-old teenager killed by a French police officer during a traffic stop, France, July 1, 2023.

The French secretary of state for Europe, Laurence Boone, said several countries cynically instrumentalized France's recent riots, including Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“We must absolutely not be fooled by the cynicism and bad intentions of certain countries, which never hesitate in the face of instrumentalization or disinformation”, added Boone during a Senate speech on Wednesday.

“In some countries, the images of the events are used for the benefit of the propaganda of the regimes and we have systematically responded to these malevolence, in particular to the Azerbaijani, Turkish or Iranian remarks”, she continued.

In early July, Iran’s foreign ministy spokesman Nasser Kanaani called on the French government and police "to take into account the demands of the protesters while exercising restraint and avoiding violence.”

In response, the spokesperson of the French Foreign Ministry slammed Iran's record of killing and blinding protesters.

Referring to the protests which 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 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 also systematically targeted protesters’ eyes.