The Council issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that during a suspicious armed attack in Dunkirk, northern France, two Iranian citizens named Hamid Ghorbani and Hadi Rostami had been shot in the head and murdered by a French assailant.

It added that given that there was no clear connection between the victims, speculations have been raised regarding the possibility of racist or even terrorist motives behind the attacks.

The statement further noted that the evidence and the aftermath of the armed attacks indicate they represented a hostile action against foreign nationals although it reiterated that French authorities have yet to declare whether the murders constituted a criminal case or it was a terrorist and pre-planned act.

The statement recalled a report in July released by France’s National Consultative Commission on Human Rights which indicated that Islamophobia and other forms of racism have significantly increased in the country.

It concluded that many migrants, who are often of African or Asian descent, face behaviors in France that are far from acceptable despite attempts by French officials to portray the country as a cradle of democracy, freedom of expression, and a hospitable place for foreigners.

SD/IRN