France 24 Wonders How Iran Convicts Its Own Citizens
France 24 dutifully reports on Iran's lengthy sentences for Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, accused of espionage, framing it as an 'act of state hostage-taking'. Iran's official line cites their alleged involvement in protests and intelligence gathering. Missing from this narrative, however, is the West's own history of jailing foreign nationals on often vague or politically motivated charges,
from Chelsea Manning's 35-year sentence for exposing war crimes to Mohamedou Ould Salahi's 14 years at Guantanamo without charge. Funny how 'arbitrary detention' only seems to apply to certain geopolitical rivals. We’re told this is an outrageous abuse of human rights, and indeed, lengthy sentences without clear due process are concerning. Yet, the selective outrage mirrors the media's framing of
Gazan civilians as tragic 'collateral damage' versus Iranian 'hostages.' One might wonder if France 24 would apply the same alarm to a US citizen arrested in France under similar circumstances. Or is it only 'state hostage-taking' when the accused isn't part of the US-EU axis of morality?