![](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2011\/06\/Alain-Juppe.jpg\" "\\"Alain-Juppe\\"")
NCRI \u2013 In an article published by the French daily Le Monde on June 19, France\u2019s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe wrote that Paris has not forgotten about the Iranian people and their two-year-long protest movement.<\/p>\nNCRI \u2013 In an article published by the French daily Le Monde on June 19, France\u2019s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe wrote that Paris has not forgotten about the Iranian people and their two-year-long protest movement.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo years ago, in an unprecedented protest movement, millions of Iranians expressed, with courage and hope, aspirations very similar to those everyone is watching with admiration develop in the Arab world today,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cSince then, unfortunately, Iran has set out along a [path of] repression and authoritarianism, self-absorption and isolation \u2013 in other words, the path rejected by all young people in the region.\u201d \u201cFor two years, the human rights situation has been constantly worsening, as shown by the growing number of reports reaching us of
large-scale arrests, maltreatment and torture undergone by detainees, arbitrary sentences and the increasing number of death penalties, now more than 300 in total since the beginning of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
He referred to the arrest of journalists and the conviction of figures like \u201cthe film-maker Jafar Panahi, sentenced to six years\u2019 jail and a 20-year ban on his creative activities, and the lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is serving an 11-year prison term.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLet us not forget Iran, where the Iranian authorities are denying their people the right to demonstrate peacefully.\u201d He said even the regime\u2019s former authorities like \u201cMir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi \u2013 one a former prime minister, the other a former chairman of parliament \u2013 are being held in isolation, in contempt of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn accordance with her values, France cannot remain silent in the face of such a deterioration in the situation of fundamental rights.<\/p>\n
In Iran as elsewhere, there must be no compromise on the principle of individual freedoms: of opinion,expression and peaceful demonstration; there must be no compromise on respect for the dignity
due to every human being. These universal values \u2013 upheld so bravely by the people of the region, including Iran \u2013 are shared by France,\u201d Mr. Juppe wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was in this spirit that France, with her European partners, adopted sanctions against 32 leaders of the crackdown in Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe denial of the Iranian people\u2019s aspirations, and the pursuit of a nuclear programme with no credible civilian purpose and in violation of international law, are leading Iran to become a pariah in the
community of nations.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cThe Iranian government could forge a relationship of friendship and cooperation with France. That, however, means making the choice of opening up and not closing in on itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Juppe concluded, \u201cSo, at a time when the young people of the Arab world are finally regaining their freedom, I want to say, on this anniversary date, that we have not forgotten the Iranian people and that our thoughts go out to them, too, and particularly the young people among them, who also have the right to a future of freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NCRI – In an article published by the French daily Le Monde on June 19, France’s Foreign Minister Alain Juppe wrote that Paris has not forgotten about the Iranian people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-10804","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-iran-a-world","7":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n