Tehran, 15 October (H.S.): An Iranian court has sentenced two French citizens, Cécile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, to a combined 63 years in prison on charges of espionage and conspiring against national security. The verdict, delivered by Iran’s Revolutionary Court, further escalates diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Paris, which has consistently decried the charges as unjustified and unfounded.

The couple, who have been detained since May 2022, were each sentenced to over 30 years. Under Iranian law, they will likely serve the longest single term of their sentences. The court accused them of collaborating with French intelligence services and Israel. They have 20 days to appeal the decision to Iran’s Supreme Court.

Kohler, a teachers’ union official, and Paris were arrested while on vacation in Iran after meeting with protesting Iranian teachers. Iranian state media portrayed them as agents aiming to destabilize the country. Their detention has been a point of significant concern, particularly after a recent war between Iran and Israel in June raised fears for the safety of foreign detainees in Iranian prisons.

This sentencing comes as Tehran appears to be leveraging the case in a potential prisoner swap. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, recently stated that a deal with France was close. This is believed to be linked to the case of Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian translator arrested in France in February on terror-related charges connected to online posts about the 2023 Hamas attacks.

The verdict is characteristic of what critics call Iran’s hostage diplomacy, a long-standing practice of detaining dual nationals and Westerners to use as bargaining chips in international negotiations. Despite the harsh sentences, diplomatic channels remain fluid; just last week, Iran released a French-German cyclist who had been detained since June, although Tehran has not publicly acknowledged his release.

—————

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar