Human Rights Activists File Complaint Against Former Director of IRIB Detained in France

The human rights organization "Justice for Iran" announced that it is preparing a complaint in the French judiciary against Bashir Bi-Azar, an Iranian prisoner in France, on charges of torture and human rights violations. Bashir Bi-Azar, the former director of the music department of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), was arrested on June 3 in Dijon, France, and is currently in administrative detention pending his expulsion from the country. Justice for Iran accuses Mr. Bi-Azar of complicity in acts of torture and human rights violations due to his background in IRIB. Shirin Ardakani, a lawyer, told AFP that there are "serious signs" indicating that Mr. Bi-Azar personally participated in the recording of forced confession interviews with Iranian and foreign prisoners. Mr. Bi-Azar's lawyer has described his planned detention and expulsion as "political," and Iranian officials have introduced him as a media activist, strongly protesting his arrest. Earlier this month, Nasser Kan'ani, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, expressed hope that he would be "freed as soon as possible" and emphasized that the Foreign Ministry would continue to take necessary measures until the desired outcome is achieved. Despite the statements from Mr. Bi-Azar's defense lawyer and Iranian officials, French media have reported that the country's security agencies consider him an infiltrator of the Islamic Republic and linked to the Quds Force of the IRGC. However, a police source in Paris, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP that the process of expelling Mr. Bi-Azar to Iran has begun. The complaint filed against this accused spy states that Mr. Bi-Azar was seeking to collect information on exiled activists and journalists and intimidate them while on French soil. According to Shirin Ardakani, the aim of this complaint is to prevent his expulsion to Iran to allow time for "all questions and investigations to uncover the truth." In recent months, Bashir Bi-Azar has been active on social media, making strong statements in support of Palestinians during the conflict between Israel and the extremist group Hamas in Gaza. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Currently, three French citizens described by Paris as "state hostages" are imprisoned in Iran.