Iran rejects Western condemnation of protester executions, accuses France of hypocrisy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
Abdullateef Fowewe
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has launched a scathing rebuke of France and other Western nations, accusing them of “blatant and embarrassing” hypocrisy over their human rights advocacy amid a joint condemnation of Iran’s use of the death penalty against protesters.
The diplomatic flare-up follows a joint statement by more than 30 countries—including France, the UK, Canada, and the European Union condemning what they described as Iran’s ongoing executions of protesters and its use of capital punishment to “silence dissent, intimidate communities, and punish individuals exercising their human rights.”
The signatories urged Tehran to “immediately cease the implementation of the death penalty” and release those “detained arbitrarily.”
In a post on X, Araghchi rejected the criticism outright, framing it as moral posturing by states complicit in what he called Israeli “genocide” in Gaza and aggression against Iran during the 2025–2026 escalations.
“Countries like France should stop lecturing the world about ‘human rights’ and international law. The hypocrisy is blatant and embarrassing,” Araghchi wrote.
He added, “Your backing of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and aggression against Iran has destroyed whatever moral high ground you imagined you had.”
Iran’s foreign minister argued that Paris and its allies have forfeited any claim to moral authority by supporting Israel’s military campaign in Gaza while simultaneously condemning Tehran’s internal security measures.
He characterised Western backing of U.S.–Israeli actions as tantamount to endorsing war crimes, saying such positions “exposed to the world how unserious and deceitful these countries are.”
The exchange comes against a backdrop of heightened Middle East tensions, including the 2025 Iran–Israel conflict and France’s stated readiness to defend Gulf allies against potential Iranian strikes.
While Western capitals have pressed Iran on executions linked to protest-related cases, Tehran has repeatedly dismissed such concerns as politically motivated interference.
Jean‑Noel Barrot, who helped coordinate the joint statement, had earlier referenced “mass atrocities” against Iranians who “rose up to demand justice and dignity,” underscoring the deepening rift between Tehran and European governments over human rights and regional security.
