TEHRAN- Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday issued a travel warning for Iranian citizens, advising them to stay away from “unnecessary trips” to France in light of the ongoing unrest there following the police shooting of a teenage boy.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani also urged the French police to exercise caution while dealing with the widespread protests caused by the June 27 death of Nahel M. in the western Parisian district of Nanterre.

“Just like in the past, we advise the French government and police to heed the demands of the protesters while exercising restraint and avoiding violence,” Kanaani added.

The spokesman also remarked that negative conditions for European residents, especially in France, have resulted from certain European nations’ “discriminatory treatment” of migrants and their reluctance to recognize and correct their improper conduct.

“The French government is expected to put an end to the violent treatment of its people by respecting the principles of human dignity, freedom of expression and the right of citizens to peaceful protests,” he highlighted.

Stressing that the Islamic Republic is closely monitoring the current events in France, he said, “Due to the insecure and unpredictable situation in France, we urge our fellow Iranian compatriots living in this country to avoid unnecessary commuting in the city or going to conflict areas.”

He further urged Iranian citizens to avoid needless trips to France in the current turbulent conditions.

After Nahel M., a 17-year-old of Algerian heritage, was shot at point-blank range in Nanterre earlier this week for refusing to stop for a traffic check and died after rescue services arrived at the scene, France was shaken by a wave of protests.

Two police officers were trying to stop the car in a video that was posted online, and one of them had his gun raised at the driver.

The shooting’s perpetrator has been apprehended and is being prosecuted for voluntary homicide.

France has deployed hundreds of police officers nationally, backed up by light armored vehicles, to subdue widespread protests, as bands of adolescents ignited fires and pelted cops with projectiles and firebombs in the major cities of Lyon, Marseille, and Grenoble.

Participants in a march held in Nanterre in honor of Nahel protested what they criticized as a culture of police impunity and a failure to improve law enforcement in a nation that has seen waves of unrest and demonstrations against police conduct.

The violent unrest has brought up memories of the three-week-long nationwide riots in 2005 that prompted President Jacques Chirac to impose a state of emergency.

Tuesday’s killing was the third fatal shooting during traffic stops in France so far in 2023, down from a record 13 last year, according to a spokesperson for the national police.