In a French post on his X account on Tuesday, Baqaei said, “In January 2026, France called on Iran to guarantee the ‘right to demonstrate peacefully without fear of reprisals’ and to exercise restraint in its response to the protests. Despite calls for revolt coming from abroad and reports of armed attacks against centers and security forces in Iran, the French Foreign Minister even described the situation as a ‘peaceful revolt.’”
He added, “Today, in France, high school student protests are described as ‘urban violence.’ The Interior Minister seems far less inclined toward restraint and calls for swift intervention and the use of force to restore order. The government also evokes ‘political manipulation’ and the role of far-left movements in these protests.”
“It is clear that violence against the police, arson, and damage to public property cannot be justified, and the government has a duty to maintain and restore peace and public order. But the contradiction lies elsewhere: why are the same behaviors and the same criteria interpreted one way when the protester is in Iran, and differently when the protester is in France?”
He emphasized, “The issue is not the act of protesting; the problem is the double standard. If human rights and the right to demonstrate are universal principles, their interpretation should not change based on the protester’s geography.”
