A French court annulled a decision by Paris police today, Friday, which had banned a march that the Iranian opposition planned to organize due to fears of an attack. The court stated that this decision contradicted the right to protest, which is a fundamental freedom. This ruling from the administrative court in Paris comes amidst significant pressure on police forces following the worst wave of riots seen in French cities since 2005, triggered by the shooting of a teenager by police officers.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran, the political arm of the Iranian People’s Mujahedin Organization, based in Paris, has organized several marches in the French capital over the years. Thousands have participated in these marches alongside high-ranking American, European, and Arab officials who criticize the Islamic Republic.
This ban came days after the release of an Iranian diplomat who was convicted of masterminding a plot to bomb a gathering of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in 2018, at a time when Western powers are seeking to de-escalate tensions with Iran. The court noted that the ban "seriously violated the fundamental freedom to protest."
The march is set to take place near the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in central Paris tomorrow, Saturday, for a short period and will be restricted to one area. The National Council of Resistance of Iran welcomed the ruling in a statement, saying it deprived Iran of the "opportunity to exploit 'security fears' under false pretenses to suppress democracy and freedom of expression."
