France has urged its citizens to leave Iran “as soon as possible” for fear of being detained arbitrarily in Tehran’s crackdown on protesters that has left scores of people dead.
The warning, posted on the French Foreign Ministry’s website on Friday, says that dual French-Iranian nationals and tourists are also at risk, amid weeks of unrest in Iran.
“Any French visitor, including dual nationals, is exposed to a high risk of arrest, arbitrary detention and unfair trial,” updated travel guidance on the ministry website said.
Protests have swept Iran since mid-September following the death of a woman held in custody for allegedly flouting strict laws that require women to cover their hair with a hijab.
Rights groups say that authorities have killed over 100 people amid ongoing demonstrations in the country.
On Thursday, the European Parliament backed a resolution condemning the September 13 death of Mahsa Amini, whose family claim that she died as a result of police brutality.
MEPs called on Iranian authorities to immediately release those who had been unfairly detained for exercising their rights and also pressed the United Nations’ Human Rights Council to launch an investigation.
