WANA (Sep 12) – French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who is soon to step down from his post, said on Friday that Paris is demanding the “immediate” and “unconditional” release of French nationals detained in Iran.

 

The call comes as those individuals are imprisoned in Iran on charges of espionage.

 

In a radio interview, Barrot declined to comment on remarks made by his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, regarding the possibility of an agreement for a prisoner exchange between the two countries.

 

Diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Paris have escalated following the arrest of several French citizens in Iran and, in turn, the detention of an Iranian national in France. Two French citizens, Cécile Kohler, 40, and Jacques Paris, 70, were arrested on May 7, 2022, on charges of spying for Israel.

 

Meanwhile, the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian citizen detained in France, has become a new point of contention. She was arrested in February this year for her pro-Palestinian activism and on charges of “promoting terrorism via social media”—an accusation Tehran has condemned as unjust, repeatedly demanding her immediate release.

 

On Thursday, Araghchi stressed in a televised interview that negotiations over a prisoner swap are nearing their final stages, saying the exchange would include the release of French prisoners in Iran in return for Esfandiari’s freedom in France.

Iranian citizen Mahdieh Esfandiari, a French translator and university lecturer, was arrested in France. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Iranian citizen Mahdieh Esfandiari, a French translator and university lecturer, was arrested in France. Social media/ WANA News Agency