France summoned Iran’s ambassador on Wednesday over what Paris described as an Iranian disinformation campaign targeting the country’s ongoing student protest movement.
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Pascal Confavreux said the ambassador was told that false material circulated online by official accounts linked to Iran’s Foreign Ministry was “completely unacceptable.”
Confavreux also rejected Tehran’s decision to summon the French ambassador in Iran on October 6, saying the move had no justification.
“These inappropriate provocations must cease,” he said.
Iranian state media said Tehran had summoned the French envoy on Tuesday over the French authorities’ handling of continuing student demonstrations, accusing Paris of using violence against protesters and committing widespread human rights violations.
The diplomatic dispute comes as France faces weeks of unrest led largely by high-school students protesting deteriorating school infrastructure, teacher shortages, overcrowding and wider inequalities in the education system.
Demonstrations have spread across several French cities and have at times descended into clashes with police, prompting mass arrests and allegations of excessive force by rights groups.
The French government has defended its response while announcing measures aimed at addressing some of the protesters’ demands.
