A woman walks past posters displaying portraits of Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two French nationals detained in Iran, in Paris on May 7. Photo credit: Abdul Saboor/Reuters.
On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that two French citizens had been released from an Iranian prison after more than three years of detention on espionage charges that Paris described as unfounded.
Macron called this an important step and expressed “great relief” over the release of Cécile Kohler, 41, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72.
«enormous relief»
– Emmanuel Macron
The president also noted that this is the first step on the path to the two citizens’ return to France, and added that dialogue with the Iranian authorities continues so they can return “as soon as possible.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on X that Kohler and Paris are safe at the French Residence in Tehran while awaiting a final decision on their release.
«safe»
– Jean-Noël Barrot
Kohler and Paris were arrested in May 2022 during a visit to Iran. According to their relatives, the detention was lengthy and unfounded.
The families of the detainees recently spoke of their despair after receiving a rare phone call from them.
According to Iranian media, last month a court sentenced the couple to lengthy imprisonment on espionage charges. The Fars News Agency, citing recent data, identified them as Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris and said the court had imposed a total term of 63 years on several counts.
Western countries say that Iran uses foreign prisoners as bargaining chips, which Tehran denies.
Context of the case and possible implications
The release of the two French citizens after lengthy detention underscores the tension in diplomacy between Europe and Iran. This decision could influence future talks on bringing people home.