The two French nationals would have tried, according to the Iranian authorities, to provoke disorders by meeting representatives of teachers’ unions.
Le Monde with AFP
Iran confirmed, Tuesday, May 17, having arrested two French nationals who would have tried, according to the authorities, to provoke unrest, by meeting representatives of teaching unions, reported state television. Television broadcast images of these two people, a 37 -year -old woman and a 69 -year -old man, since their arrival in the Islamic Republic on April 28 until their arrest on May 7.
“The Ministry of Intelligence monitored the two people during organizational and coordination meetings with certain people who consider themselves members of the teachers’ union,” said state television, adding that they ” tried to form a kind of demonstration to create disorders. “
In an audio file broadcast by the media, a female voice, presented as that of the French national, affirms in English: “It is a battle to obtain the majority of Iranians.” And a man, who would be the Second national arrest, said, also in English: “We should build a revolutionary package”.
“without foundation”
The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence had announced, on May 11, the arrest of two Europeans accused of seeking to “destabilize” the country, without specifying their nationality. Then, the next day, the Quai d’Orsay said it was two French people, without identifying them and condemned arrests as being “baseless”, calling for their immediate release.
Iran is currently shaken by regular demonstrations of teachers against their working conditions. Several of them have been arrested, resulting in other demonstrations for their release. The Iranian authorities retain prisoners several foreign nationals for reasons deemed political by Western countries who consider that Tehran uses it as a means of pressure in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file or to reduce the pressure of international sanctions.
At the beginning of the month, the NGO Human Rights Watch asked for the release of nearly forty teachers arrested during the events that surrounded the national demonstrations of 1 er-sup> May.