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One Iranian The court has sentenced two to long jail terms french citizen Accused of spying for France and Israel.
Cecile Kohler, 40, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72, are not named in the Iranian judiciary report, but are believed to be the only French nationals detained in the country. The couple was arrested in May 2022 during a tourist trip.
Both have been found guilty of spying on behalf of France and Israel, Iran’s judicial news agency Mizan Said pair could be released despite previous suggestions prisoner exchange Between Paris and Tehran.
Earlier this month, both countries indicated that talks on his release were moving forward.
But on Wednesday, Tehran announced that significant punishments had been carried out following the court’s decision. One of the defendants was sentenced to six years in prison for spying for France, five years for conspiracy against national security, and 20 years of exile for “intelligence cooperation” with Israel. Mizan,
The other was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spying for France, five years for plotting against national security, and 20 years of exile for engaging in intelligence cooperation with Israel.
Both have 20 days to appeal against their sentence in a higher court.
France has repeatedly accused Iran of arbitrarily detaining Kohler and Paris, holding them in torture-like conditions in Tehran’s Evin prison and not allowing proper consular protection. The Islamic Republic denies the allegations.
This comes after Iran released a 19-year-old Franco-German lenart monterlos He was released from custody earlier this month after rejecting espionage charges against him.
Following their return, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that he had “not forgotten” Köhler and Paris and that he “demanded” their release. Barrot previously described the allegations against the pair as “completely unfair and baseless”.
Right-wing groups have accused Iran of using detained Westerners as a bargaining chip, which Tehran denies.