Iran - Q&A (5 january 2023)

Iran summoned the French ambassador because of caricatures published by Charlie Hebdo yesterday, which were harshly criticized by the regime. Iran also announced that it wanted to close the French Institute in Tehran. Do you have any comment?

As the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs said this morning, “Press freedom exists in France, unlike in Iran, and it is exercised under the supervision of a judge within the framework of an independent judiciary. That too is something that Iran is perhaps somewhat unfamiliar with.”

At this stage, we have received no official information regarding media statements by Iranian officials concerning the closing of the French Institute for Research in Iran (IFRI). It would obviously be regrettable if they were true. The Institute is a hub for culture and discussion, created by the 1983 merger between the French Archeological Delegation in Iran, established in 1897, and the French Institute of Iranian Studies in Tehran, established in 1947 by Henry Corbin.