Iran Releases Two French Nationals from Prison, Says Macron

Iran has released two French nationals who had been imprisoned there for over three years, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday, November 4.

This move appears to be part of a broader exchange, as it follows the conditional release of an Iranian student in October, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, who had been detained since 2022, "are out of the Evin jail and en route to the French Embassy in Tehran", Macron posted on X.

"I welcome this first step. The dialogue continues to allow for their return to France as quickly as possible."

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said later on X that Kohler and Paris were now "safe" at the French Embassy "ahead of their final release".

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said later that the two French citizens have been released on bail and will remain in Iran "under supervision until the next stage of judicial proceeding."

Kohler and Paris were among dozens of foreign and dual nationals held by the Islamic Republic in recent years, often on espionage-related charges. France has said the charges against Kohler and Paris were unfounded.

Their release brought to an end years of negotiations between the two countries over French citizens held in Iran - as many as seven as of 2022.

France has repeatedly accused Iran of state hostage-taking and holding its nationals arbitrarily in conditions akin to torture. Tehran has denied the allegation.

The chances of Kohler and Paris being released appeared to rise after France arrested Mahdieh Esfandiari, a student living in the city of Lyon, earlier this year over anti-Israel social media posts. She was conditionally released in late October.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted an Iranian foreign ministry official at the time as saying that Esfandiari was getting ready for a prisoner swap.