Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris were arrested on May 7, 2022 while they were on a tourist trip to Iran. Since then, for French diplomacy and their relatives, they have been held in “ hostage » by the Iranian authorities. Their support committee is launching a petition this Saturday, April 6, to call for their release.
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Accused of espionage, Cécile Kohler, 39, and her companion Jacques Paris have been detained since May 2022 in Iran. After almost two years of detention, the concern of their loved ones is only growing, especially since they have no prospect of possible release. We still don’t have the slightest positive outlook, testifies Noémie Kohler, the sister of Cécile Kohler at the microphone of Guilhem Delteil. We have no deadline to hang on to. We have no idea how long this situation can continue. It’s terrifying to think that after two years, we still have no prospects. We must cling to hope, but a hope that is nourished by very few things. »
Iranian justice announced in September that the investigation had been completed, paving the way for a trial, but no date has been communicated. Their loved ones are therefore launching this Saturday, April 6 a petition to call for their release.
High security section of Evin prison
“ We have very little contact with them, they are random contacts, very short calls, five minutes, never more than ten minutes. They are under close surveillance when they call us, so they do not have the opportunity to express themselves freely, underlines Noémie Kohler. It’s really very complicated. We know that they are in very difficult conditions. They are each detained in a high security section of Evin prison, in a 9 m² cell with several other detainees. They only have three outings a week for half an hour in a yard. The rest of the time, they spend in this small 9 m² cell. It’s truly terrifying. We are alarmed by the consequences this will have on their health. »
Two other French people are detained in the country. The Islamic Republic of Iran detains more than ten Western nationals and is accused by their supporters and NGOs of using them as a bargaining chip in state-to-state negotiations. French Benjamin Brière, and a Franco-Irish national, Bernard Phelanwere released in May “ for humanitarian reasons “.
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