France bans Iranian opposition rally over attack threat

Rally cancelled as it could 'generate disturbances to public order due to the geopolitical context'

Protesters attend a demonstration against Tehran organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran in Paris in February 2019. EPA

A planned Iranian opposition rally has been banned in France over the risk of an attack, according to a letter sent to the organisers and seen by Reuters.

Following Iran releasing several Europeans from prison, including two French citizens, western powers are keen to defuse tension with the country.

French President Emmanuel Macron held a 90-minute call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on June 10.

The Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, political arm of the People's Mujahideen Organisation of Iran, has held frequent rallies in the French capital over the years, often attended by high-profile former US, European and Arab officials critical of Tehran.

In February, the NCRI attracted several thousand people to an event in central Paris and plans its annual rally on July 1.

However, given a recent spate of mass anti-government protests in Iran over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in morality police custody, a “tense context” had developed, posing “very significant security risks” to NCRI gatherings, said the document, a letter from Paris police chief Laurent Nunez.

Therefore, “this meeting, organised every year since 2008, cannot be held” read the letter, sent to the NCRI rally's organising committee.

In response to an inquiry, Paris police issued a statement to Reuters confirming that they had informed the committee of the decision to ban the rally as it could “generate disturbances to public order due to the geopolitical context”.

“Moreover, given the terrorist risk cannot be neglected, the holding of such an event would make its security but also the security of sensitive guests extremely complex,” said the statement.

A senior NCRI official condemned the decision when asked about it by Reuters, before the police confirmation.

“If French authorities take such a stance, it will represent a brazen disregard for democratic principles, caving in to the ruling religious tyranny’s blackmail and hostage-taking,” said Shahin Gobadi, a member of the NCRI's Foreign Affairs Committee.

Foreign powers blamed for Iran unrest

Ms Amini's death in custody sparked months of nationwide protests, prompting Tehran to accuse the US, its western allies and Israel of exploiting the unrest to try to destabilise the country.

Thousands of supportive rallies have been held around the world since her death September, although the nationwide unrest has subsided after Iranian security police clamped down on it.

To dampen rising tension, the US has been holding talks with Iran to sketch out steps that could limit the disputed Iranian nuclear programme, release some detained US citizens and unfreeze some of Tehran's assets abroad, according to Iranian and western officials.

'Securing the event would be particularly complicated'

Mr Nunez's letter put the July 1 NCRI rally in the context of the abortive plot led by Vienna-based Iranian diplomat Assadolah Assadi in October 2018 and three others.

Assadi, whom French officials said was running an Iranian state intelligence network and was acting on orders from Tehran, was sentenced in Belgium to a 20-year prison term in 2021.

He was exchanged in May for four Europeans held in Iran.

“This attempted attack, which underlines the operational capacities for attacking the PMOI, falls into a series of violent and lethal operations in France and Europe, in the form of assassinations and kidnappings of Iranian opposition figures,” the letter said, without providing details.

“Partner countries have in this regard recently mentioned many planned violent attacks, potentially targeting Iranian opposition figures.”

Mr Nunez also said in his letter to the NCRI that, given the group's rally would attract several hundred important foreign dignitaries and PMOI members coming from overseas, “securing the event would be particularly complicated”.

There have been three attacks on an NCRI building in a Paris suburb since the end of May, the letter said, and these were under investigation.

Two sources close to the investigation said gunshots, petrol bombs and other incendiary devices had been used to attack the building. It was unclear who was responsible.

The letter said there was also an elevated risk of conflict between the NCRI and rival Iranian opposition groups at the rally, although there had been no incidents at past rallies.

Tehran has long called for a crackdown on NCRI activities.

The group, whose sources of funding and support are unclear, is regularly lambasted by Iranian state media.