Iran bars two French diplomats over alleged 'interference'

"The two people involved have left Iran. We have also officially announced that they will not be allowed to return," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaïl Baghaï said on Monday during his weekly news conference in Tehran.

Baghaei said the ​two ‌staff had violated the Vienna Convention  – which ⁠defines the rules and privileges of diplomatic missions –  by engaging in activities supporting ‌Iranian civil society.

"Insisting that these individuals were engaged ⁠in activities related to supporting civil society is itself an admission that the Vienna Convention ​was violated," Baghaei said, without elaborating.

On 20 July, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot denounced what he called "an extremely serious act of intimidation by the Iranian security services” against the two diplomats. "in flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity".

The diplomats had been "detained without reason for several hours" on 19 July and "questioned" because of their work supporting Iranian civil society, the French minister said.

Iranian authorities denied the assault, saying the diplomats had only been "briefly questioned" by security services after attending a "meeting with several people wanted by the authorities".

Iran says French envoy summoned over 'interference' in internal affairs

Villa Zadig

According to Le Monde daily, the dispute pertains to "Villa Zadig" – a French Embassy cultural project aimed at promoting residencies and exchanges with Iranian civil society.

On 19 July, a professional meeting organised at the request of the cultural department of the French Embassy, was held at the home of Iranian graphic artist Arya Kasaei along with fellow artist Elaheh Naghilou, with the French cultural attaché and another embassy staff member in attendance.

The two artists were arrested.
On Saturday, Iran's Intelligence Ministry accused France of operating "a wide-ranging project aimed at exerting influence" inside Iran and "preparing the ground for action by France against Iran's independence".

The statement said that, while arresting "two individuals implicated" in a "major case of foreign infiltration and interference," Iranian authorities discovered "the illegal presence of two French diplomats at the site of a secret meeting".

The statement did not mention the two artists by name. Their relatives and friends have demanded public disclosure of the formal charges against them and the right to independent legal representation.

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Tehran has long been highly sensitive to what it sees as Western meddling in its ‌internal affairs, especially since the US and Israel launched attacks on ​Iran in late February.

Barrot has insisted the mission of the two embassy employees ​concerned was to "develop programmes supporting Iranian civil society, students, and artists".

"France ​is one of the countries in the world that does the most for Iranian civil society, and we have paid the price for it," he said.

(with newswires)