Macron announces Iran released two French citizens after ‘three and a half years of detention’

(SeaPRwire) –   Iran freed two French citizens, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, on Tuesday following what President Emmanuel Macron described as “three and a half years of detention.”

According to Reuters, the two individuals were apprehended in May 2022 during a visit to Iran and were labeled as spies attempting to incite instability by Iranian state television. France had previously condemned their arrest as baseless and without justification.

In a post on X, Macron stated, “Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on their way to French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran. This is a relief for all of us and obviously for their families.”

He continued, “Thank you to the Omani authorities for their mediation efforts, to the State services, and to the citizens who mobilized tirelessly and thus contributed to their return.”

The organization United Against Nuclear Iran identified Kohler as the leader of a French teachers’ union federation, noting that Paris was her partner.

Last May, France’s foreign ministry asserted that Kohler and Paris were being held as “state hostages by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The ministry added at the time, “They are being held in shameful conditions and have been able to receive only four consular visits, under very restrictive conditions.”

As reported by The Associated Press, Iranian authorities released the pair from prison in November but prevented them from departing the country.

According to French officials, the two were subsequently provided safety at the French Embassy in Tehran until they left Iran on Tuesday.