Iran's Request for Serious Investigation into the Murder of Two Iranian Refugees in France

The Iranian Deputy Consul of the Foreign Ministry has urged French officials to seriously investigate the murder of two Iranian nationals during an armed attack in France. Vahid Jalalzadeh on Friday, December 30, described the killing of these two individuals, who Kurdish sources have identified as Iranian Kurdish refugees, as 'suspicious and motivated by racism.' He stated that the Iranian embassy in France, upon learning of the deaths of the two Iranian citizens during this armed incident, has been in contact with relevant French government authorities to pursue the matter and demand the identification, prosecution, and punishment of the perpetrators of this crime. The two Iranian refugees were killed on Saturday, December 24, during an attack by an individual in Loon-Plage near Dunkirk in northern France. Previously, the Iranian consul in Paris confirmed these murders and stated that necessary investigations and actions had begun. The Dunkirk prosecutor announced on Tuesday that the suspect in this attack, which left a total of five dead, has been charged with these murders. Paul Dumez, a 22-year-old unemployed man, went to the local gendarmerie near the Belgian border late Saturday afternoon and turned himself in. He confessed to killing a company manager, then two security officers, and finally two Iranian migrants near Dunkirk on the same day. The capsizing of a boat in the English Channel also claimed the lives of at least eight other migrants. Prosecutors have stated that this case still has 'many ambiguities,' especially regarding his motives, and 'a definitive conclusion cannot be drawn at this time.' Despite the UK's exit from the European Union, the country continues to witness a surge of illegal migrants. In the first six months of 2024 alone, 22,000 people have reached Britain by boat via the dangerous English Channel. During this period, nearly 50 people have also lost their lives on this route; nevertheless, numerous inflatable boats continue to leave French shores for Britain every day, a matter that has also caught the attention of the new government of that country. UK statistics indicate that last year, Iranians were the second-largest group of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel after Afghans, reaching the shores of Britain. In recent years, several Iranians have lost their lives while migrating from the country and reaching British soil, some of whom died as families.