In "Tehran-sur-Seine," Where Iranian Parisians Fear Escalating Repression
In the 15th arrondissement of Paris, exiled opponents of Iran's ruling regime are tightening their guard, fearing reprisals against loved ones still in Iran.
In the shadow of the towers of the Beaugrenelle district lies the Rue des Entrepreneurs, full of Persian restaurants and grocery stores. In this quiet street, in the 15th arrondissement of the French capital, where members of the Iranian diaspora like to gather, the atmosphere has been tense in recent weeks. Israeli bombings and U.S. strikes are on everyone's mind. When the topic is mentioned, many shopkeepers and customers refuse to talk.
Fear of reprisals against their families back in Iran dominates this close-knit community of 62,000 citizens opposed to the mullahs' regime. Locals claim that on the other side of the Seine, in the 16th arrondissement where the Iranian embassy is located, staff comb through the press and track the names of enemies of the Islamic theocratic republic.
'They kill in Iran, they rape women and they gouge their eyes out,' says a restaurant employee who wishes to remain anonymous. Having lived in Paris for several decades, he knows that this deadly violence can…
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