The Iranian Executive has summoned the French ambassador in Tehran, Pierre Cochard, to convey a formal complaint about "the violent response" to the student protests of recent weeks and the "widespread violations of Human Rights" attributed to the security forces during those protests.
According to information disseminated by the Iranian public television IRIB, the authorities in Tehran reminded Cochard of the "obligations at the level of Human Rights" that fall on the French Government and demanded that "the fundamental rights and freedoms" be respected in the context of the mobilizations.
In this regard, Iran has conveyed to Paris its "deep concern" about "the violent repression of peaceful gatherings" and has emphasized that "the use of this level of violence against peaceful protesters is unjustifiable," referring to the allegations about the behavior of the security forces towards the participants in the protests.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baqaei, has also accused the French authorities of maintaining a "double standard" by censoring the actions of the Iranian security forces in the recent anti-government protests while simultaneously supporting police intervention against student mobilizations on French territory.
"In January 2026, France urged Iran to guarantee the 'right to peacefully protest without fear of reprisals' and to act with moderation in its response to the demonstrations," Baqaei recalled, highlighting that "despite calls for revolt launched from abroad and reports of armed attacks against centers and security forces in Iran, the French Foreign Minister even spoke of a 'peaceful revolt'."
"Today, in France, high school student protests are described as 'urban violence'. The Interior Minister seems much less inclined to moderation and advocates for a swift intervention and the use of force to restore order. The Government also refers to a 'political manipulation' and the role of far-left movements," he enumerated.
Baqaei has emphasized that "it is evident that violence against the Police, the arson, and the damage to public property cannot be justified, and that the State has the duty to maintain and restore peace and public order," although he has stressed that there is "a contradiction" when "the same behaviors and criteria are interpreted one way when the protester is in Iran and another when they are in France."
"The problem is not the protest; the problem is the double standard," he has pointed out in a message disseminated on social media. "If Human Rights and the right to protest are universal principles, their definition should not change depending on the geographical location of the protester," he concluded.
The stance of Tehran is known after the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) in France expressed on Tuesday its "utmost concern" over the "disproportionate use of force" by the Police during the student protests taking place across the country, mobilizations that have so far left around 5,000 detained, most of them minors.