Teachers’ Syndicate Calls State Media Report ‘Mud-Slinging’

Iran’s Teachers’ Syndicate stated in a statement that the state media report about the arrest of two French citizens accused of “contacting” labor activists was prepared with the aim of “deceiving public opinion” and suppressing the teachers’ justice-seeking movement.

Iran’s Teachers’ Syndicate, on Wednesday, May 18, issued a statement on its Telegram channel in response to a report broadcast by Islamic Republic Television and government media claiming two arrested French citizens had “contacted” teacher labor activists. The syndicate called it a “poorly constructed scenario” that “would make a dead bird laugh.”

Islamic Republic Television on May 16 broadcast a report attributed to the Ministry of Intelligence accusing two arrested French citizens in Iran of contacting teacher and worker activists and attempting to create “chaos” and “destabilize society.”

Iran’s Teachers’ Syndicate strongly rejected the accusation in its statement and said: “Teachers’ protests have real roots and grounds spanning several decades, and the mud-slinging by the producers of this report is merely covering up the surface of the problem.”

The two arrested French citizens detained by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence are “Cecile Kohler” and “Jacques Paris,” an employee of the French Educational Trade Union, who according to the union had traveled to Iran to spend “vacation.”

The Teachers’ Syndicate identified Cecile Kohler as a teacher and member of France’s Teachers Union, stating that she is “a renowned figure in the field of syndical activities and an important member of Education International (EI), and all her national and international activities are transparent.”

In its statement, the Teachers’ Syndicate clarified that the Coordination Council of Teachers’ Trade Unions has been a member of Education International since its establishment and maintains completely “transparent and open” relations with this international body, which is a collection of teachers’ unions from around the world.

The Teachers’ Syndicate further raised this question: “How is it that this person, who is a member of this international body and comes to Iran openly and under official title and performs her duties in her field of activity, is being called a spy?”

The Coordination Council of Iranian Educators’ Trade Unions, affiliated with the teachers’ profession, is an organization responsible for coordinating teachers’ professional protests.

Arrest of Two French Citizens by the Ministry of Intelligence

On Wednesday, May 11, the Islamic Republic’s Ministry of Intelligence released a statement about the identification and arrest of two European individuals. The statement said the detainees “entered Iran with the aim of exploiting the legitimate demands of some professions and sectors of the country and redirecting normal demands toward chaos, social disorder, and destabilization of society.”

It was also claimed that the two “were tasked with justifying, directing, networking, and connecting individuals and contaminated internal networks to exploit and capitalize on the problems and demands of the honorable and hardworking sectors of society.”

International Reactions to the Arrest of Two French Citizens

One day after Islamic Republic Television’s report detailing the arrest of two French citizens in Iran on charges of “spying,” the U.S. State Department spokesperson called for the immediate release of the two French citizens.

France had previously condemned the arrest of its two nationals in Iran and called for their immediate release, summoning Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Paris to the Foreign Ministry.

On Thursday, May 22, France’s Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that it is aware of the arrest of two citizens of the country in Iran, and French authorities are “fully prepared” on the matter.

The statement emphasized: “The French government condemns this baseless arrest and calls for the immediate release of these two French nationals.”

Source: DW