Paris Demands “Unconditional” Release of French Prisoners in Iran

According to Rokna, Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Foreign Minister who is soon to step down, announced today (Friday) that Paris demands the “immediate” and “unconditional” release of French citizens held in Iran.

This request comes as these individuals are imprisoned in Iran on charges of espionage.

Barrot, in an interview with Radio France Inter, refrained from commenting on remarks by his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araqchi, regarding a potential agreement for a prisoner swap between the two countries.

According to France 24, diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Paris have intensified following the detention of several French citizens in Iran and, reciprocally, the arrest of an Iranian citizen in France. Two French citizens, 40-year-old Cécile Kohler and 70-year-old Jacques Paris, were arrested on May 7, 2022, on charges of espionage for the Israeli regime.

Meanwhile, the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian citizen detained in France, has become a new focal point of this dispute. She was arrested in France in February of this year for supporting Palestine and on charges of “promoting terrorism through social networks,” a charge Tehran deems unfair and has repeatedly demanded her immediate release.

Araqchi, in a television interview on Thursday, emphasized that negotiations for a prisoner swap are approaching the final stages and that the exchange would involve the release of the French prisoners in Iran in return for Esfandiari’s release.