Iran Slams France for Hosting Exiled Opposition Group Rally

Facts

• Iran's foreign ministry on Sunday condemned French officials for allowing a meeting and protest by a dissident group in Paris, claiming it amounts to support for "terrorism" while warning of the political and legal consequences of the move.¹
• Thousands joined Saturday's rally organized by the exiled National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the political wing of the controversial People's Mujahedin (MEK) that is far from having universal support among the Iranian diaspora.²
• In parallel to the gathering in Place Vauban, high-profile Western figures — including former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and former US Vice President Mike Pence — addressed a conference of the group on the outskirts of the French capital.³
• The anti-regime events urged the end of the appeasement policy toward Tehran and expressed support for the uprising against the regime inside the country, calling for the establishment of a democratic republic.⁴
• Citing security concerns after the release of an Iranian diplomat convicted of plotting a bomb attack against the group in 2018, Paris police imposed in mid-June a ban on the rally. However, an administrative court overturned it on Friday to protect the freedom to protest.⁵
• France has been rocked by violent unrest since the police killing of the 17-year-old Nahel M in a Paris suburb last Tuesday, with more than 3K people being detained as protesters loot shops, damage infrastructure, torch cars, and clash with police.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²The New Arab, ³VOA, ⁴The Washington Times, ⁵Iran International, and ⁶Guardian.

Narratives

• Pro-Iran narrative, as provided by PressTV. It's inconceivable that the French government has once again backed gatherings of the MEK terrorist cult and allowed them to take place in Paris, especially at a moment when France is facing social unrest as its citizens are out in the streets protesting racism. Instead of meddling in Iran's internal affairs to support murderers, Paris should restrain itself and deal with its problems.
• Anti-Iran narrative, as provided by NCRI. France has upheld fundamental democratic rights within its borders in a heavy blow to Iran's theocratic regime that has long threatened terror attacks to blackmail foreign powers into suppressing the exiled opposition. It's time to stop appeasing this vile clerical regime as this approach has only encouraged its reign of terror and repression against the nation.

Predictions