Iran Summons French Ambassador Over Treatment of School Protesters
The summons came as demonstrations by high-school students, teachers and parents continued across France over deteriorating school conditions, including overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and inadequate facilities.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iran summoned French Ambassador to Tehran Pierre Cochard on Tuesday over France’s handling of nationwide student protests, accusing Paris of using excessive force and committing “extensive and flagrant human rights violations,” Iranian state media reported.
The summons came as demonstrations by high-school students, teachers and parents continued across France over deteriorating school conditions, including overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and inadequate facilities. The protests, which began in the Paris region in September, have spread to cities across the country and in some cases developed into clashes between demonstrators and police.
Iranian officials have particularly criticized the reported use of force by French police against protesters. Tehran called on Paris to uphold the right to peaceful assembly and investigate allegations of excessive force against demonstrators.
The protests have resulted in thousands of arrests and injuries among students, school staff and police officers, according to French authorities and media reports. While many demonstrations have remained peaceful, authorities have also reported incidents of vandalism, fires and attacks on police and school personnel.
Relations between Iran and France have deteriorated in recent months. In August, France expelled two Iranian diplomatic personnel after accusing Iranian security services of seriously mistreating two French embassy employees in Tehran. Iran had earlier declared two French diplomats persona non grata, accusing them of violating diplomatic rules.
The latest diplomatic dispute also comes months after major anti-government protests in Iran. The unrest began in late December 2025 and intensified in January 2026 amid economic difficulties and a sharp decline in the Iranian currency. Iranian authorities reported thousands of deaths and blamed what they described as violence linked to foreign-backed “terrorist acts,” while rights groups disputed the authorities’ account and accused security forces of using lethal force against protesters.
The dispute over France’s student protests therefore adds another point of tension to already strained relations between Tehran and Paris.