Change in Iran must come at home: Macron

Paris : Iran creates high tension and its regional presence is destabilising, says French President. 

Change in Iran must come from the Iranian people alone, not from abroad, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday.

In a speech to foreign diplomats, Macron said that “today there is a crisis in Iran. This crisis (comes from) the free expression of the Iranian people.”

“Our role is to be on the lookout, demanding, scrupulous” to ensure that protesters’ rights are not abused.

The deadly unrest in Iran began one week ago. Hundreds have been arrested, social media apps have been blocked and pro-government rallies have quickly followed. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian postponed a planned visit to Tehran this week.

The French leader also said he wants to see the emergence of an accord limiting Iran’s regional presence that is considered destabilizing, ticking off its actions in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah notably fought in Syria at the side of President Bashar Assad, backs a rebel group fighting in Yemen and has had a prime political role in Lebanon, where it is based.

Such actions, Macron said, “destabilize the region ... and contribute to maintaining elements of high tension.”

Meanwhile, following the heroic uprising of the people of Izeh (in Khuzestan province) where the repressive forces were unable to confront the people and many of the regime’s agents ran away, the clerical regime dispatched many groups of IRGC and Bassij forces from the surrounding areas to suppress the people, and practically imposed an undeclared curfew in this city. 

Guards and other agents are constantly patrolling on vehicles or on foot across the city, especially during the night.

So far, more than 1,000 people have been arrested and detained in jails and are subjected to torture and other ill-treatment over the past one week and many have been denied access to their families and lawyers.