Four French people are still arbitrarily detained in Iran. Their relatives organized a gathering this Saturday, March 23, at Place de la République, in Paris. It was not only an act of solidarity, but also an opportunity for these families to remember these detainees in Iran. In total, more than ten Westerners are being held by the Iranian authorities, used as bargaining chips in political negotiations.
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In the demonstration at Place de la République in Paris, Adrien-Guillaume Padovan
Louis Arnaud, Cécile Kohler, Jacques Paris and a man whose identity is not public: these are the four French people detained by the Iranian regime. It’s been 683 days for the teacher Cécile Koehler and her companion, Jacques Parisare imprisoned.
In Paris, during a gathering so as not to forget them, the speeches follow one another to music. Among the hundred demonstrators, some naturally came to express their indignation at this blackmail, like Christian Duffy: “ We cannot accept, under any regime whatsoever, that in the name of a religion or a thought or a doctrine, people are crushed and strangled. »
This gathering, organized in the middle of the Persian New Year, is intended to be a moment of communion for the hostages. Most are accused without proof of espionage and political destabilization by the mullahs’ government.
All families are anxious, like the mother of Louis Arnauddetained for 18 months, and for whom this situation is a daily ordeal: “ It’s very simple, it’s the first idea you have when you wake up. We think about it throughout the day. It’s daily, it’s permanent, it’s a life that has changed. »
The people gathered at Place de la République are demanding a more constructive dialogue between Paris and Tehran. The speeches ended with applause. Lawyers for hostage families are considering further action with United Nations human rights bodies.