Post by : Rameen Ariff

Tehran: An Iranian court has sentenced two French nationals to a combined 63 years in prison on charges of espionage and national security violations, a move likely to escalate tensions between Tehran and Paris. The two individuals, identified as Cecile Kohler and Chuck Paris, have been detained in Iran since 2022. France has repeatedly called the charges “unjustified and unfounded.”

The Revolutionary Court in Tehran, known for holding closed-door trials where defendants often cannot access evidence against them, issued the ruling this week. The court accused Kohler and Paris of working with French intelligence and cooperating with Israel. Each defendant received a sentence of over 30 years, though in practice prisoners typically serve only the longest single term of their charges. The verdict can be appealed to Iran’s Supreme Court within 20 days.

Kohler and Paris were reportedly arrested after attending an anti-government rally and meeting with protesting Iranian teachers. French authorities identified them as a teachers’ union official and her partner who were visiting Iran for vacation. Concerns for their safety increased during the 12-day Iran-Israel war in June, when Israel targeted a prison in Tehran.

The sentencing comes amid ongoing diplomatic pressures. Iran has reportedly urged France to release an Iranian national, raising the possibility of a prisoner swap deal. In September, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi indicated that negotiations with France were progressing. Separately, a French-German teenager, Lennart Monterlos, who disappeared while cycling across Iran in June, was released last week, though Iran has not publicly confirmed his release.

Kohler and Paris’s detention reflects a long-standing pattern of Iran holding dual nationals and Westerners as diplomatic leverage. Another case involved Mahdieh Esfandiari, a translator living in Lyon, France, who was arrested in February on terror-related charges connected to her social media posts about the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023.

The latest court decision is expected to further strain relations between Iran and France, with officials in Paris calling for the immediate release of their citizens. Observers warn that the case could complicate ongoing negotiations and attract global attention to Iran’s judicial practices.

#Global