FRANCE and Iran clashed over human rights at the United today after Paris condemned the arrest of a French national on espionage charges.

Tehran said that France and other Western countries had “horrific human rights records” due to their complicity in the Saudi-led bombing of Yemen and so were in no position to give lectures on morality.

Mohammad Sadati-Nejad, Iran’s representative at the UN on human rights, was speaking after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian accused the Iranian government of violating rights and demanded the release of a French-Iranian national being held by Tehran.

Mr Le Drian said that France “was attentively following the situation of our fellow national” after Fariba Adelkhah was detained on espionage charges.

But Mr Sadati-Nejad warned France against interfering in his country’s judicial affairs and added: “Canada and the US, besides France, Germany and Britain, are accomplices to the war crimes being committed against the innocent people of Yemen and Palestine in the hands of their clients.”

United States, as the frontrunner in the spread of terrorism and unilateral bullying of a large part of the world’s population, must be held accountable for the crimes caused by its economic terrorism against civilians, the Iranian diplomat argued. 

France is the third- largest exporter of arms to Riyadh, behind the US and Britain. According to new government report, French arms sales to Saudi Arabia jumped by 50 per cent last year.