Pouria Amirshahi, a member of the environmental group in the French National Assembly, has been denied entry to the US.
The French MP had planned a trip to meet with American lawmakers, civil society representatives and intellectuals.
Amirshahi, who was born in Iran and previously represented the Socialist Party, called the incident unprecedented:
“This is the first time in 240 years of Franco-American relations that a parliamentarian has been denied entry to the United States.”
Amirshahi had previously visited the country three times – as a tourist, as a cultural figure and during his term as a deputy. His initial application for visa-free entry through the ESTA system was rejected, after which he applied for a visa through the embassy.
Despite explaining the purpose of his trip, he was denied entry without an official explanation. Amirshahi expressed concern about possible political motives behind the ban.
