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Release and Return
Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, detained in Iran for more than three years on espionage charges France said were baseless, arrived safely in Paris.
“The couple spent more than three years in a Tehran prison on espionage charges that France denounced as baseless”
They were arrested in May 2022 during a tourist trip and held in Tehran's Evin prison.
President Macron welcomed them as the end of a terrible ordeal.
They described enduring daily horror and inhumane conditions of detention.
The release came after years of diplomatic efforts and was facilitated by Omani mediation.
Prison Conditions and Treatment
They recounted harsh treatment including being blindfolded whenever leaving their cells.
One aim was probably to break us, to crush us, to take away all our energy.
They survived an Israeli air strike on the prison during the 12-day war in June 2025.
Iran sentenced them to 20 and 17 years respectively in late 2025.
Their release was framed as part of a wider prisoner exchange involving Mahdieh Esfandiari.
Diplomatic Complexity
French officials emphasized the release was a first step.
“France had previously demanded the release and accused Iran of state hostage-taking”
Talks to facilitate their swift return to France were ongoing.
The French government did not confirm a formal prisoner swap at the time of release.
Kohler and Paris's families strongly deny the espionage charges.
The case highlighted the broader use of Western detainees as bargaining chips in geopolitical tension.