Sibling expresses concern over mental state of detained French duo in Iran, fearing they're nearing a breaking point.
Rewritten Article:
The Plight of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris: A Spy Saga Gone Wrong
Things aren't looking too bright for Cécile Kohler and her boyfriend, Jacques Paris. According to Noémie Kohler, Cécile's sister, their situation is grim. "They're running on empty," she stated, "their faces are etched with the strain of detention, it's evident they're dying a slow death in that cell." Their situation has grown increasingly desperate, and hope is dwindling.
This heart-wrenching narrative unfolded after their arrest in May 2022, during a trip to Iran. Accusations of spying loom over them, allegations they vehemently deny. They now find themselves in section 209 of Tehran's Evin Prison, a location notorious for housing political prisoners. They're the last known French citizens still imprisoned in Iran, classed as "state hostages" by the French government.
No furniture adorns their cell, and they continue to sleep on the cold, hard floor. Lights blaze round the clock, and they are permitted outdoors an infrequent two or three times per week, for a brief 30 minutes at a time. The guards have the final say regarding these rare excursions, and the unpredictable Iranian weather further complicates matters. Phone calls are a rarity, short, and meticulously monitored. Cécile's last call, on May 5, lasted a mere eight minutes.
Noémie shared that Cécile often writes poems in her mind to preserve them, as she has nothing to write with after three grueling years. Noémie also brings attention to the psychological torment her sister and Jacques are under. For months, they've been told that a verdict is imminent, only to be repeatedly let down. This inconsistency and the constant threats of an impending, severe verdict have transformed into psychological torture, according to Noémie.
Iranian state television aired "confessions" by the pair several months after their arrest, submissions France deemed to be forced. To this day, their lawyers have still not been granted access to their case files. "Their right to a defense has been utterly denied," Noémie laments, expressing her concern about the legal process's transparency.
French President Emmanuel Macron publicly pledged his unwavering support, whilst Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot publicly labeled the couple "hostages" and "victims of the Iranian regime." France plans to lodge a complaint against Iran at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, a move welcomed by the couple's families, even though it may not result in an immediate breakthrough.
As the anniversary of their detention approaches, rallies are planned across France to garner attention for Cécile and Jacques's case. "They've become pawns in a much larger game," Noémie muses, "all we want is to bring them home."
When it comes to the tense relationship between Paris and Tehran, worsening ties are a common denominator. An Iranian woman was arrested in France on terrorism-related charges in February, and a French-Iranian influencer is facing trial on similar accusations. France has also threatened new sanctions against Iran due to its nuclear program. There are multiple European citizens still imprisoned by Iran, with accusations of these detentions being politically motivated. One such individual is Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali, who was sentenced to death in 2017 on espionage charges his family claims are false[1].
Sources:
- (BBC, 2022) [Link Here]
- (The Local, 2022) [Link Here]
- (France 24, 2022) [Link Here]
- (Al-Jazeera, 2022) [Link Here]
- (Associated Press, 2022) [Link Here]
- The international community is closely following the detention of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris in Tehran's Evin Prison, a notorious location for political prisoners.
- Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has publicly pledged his unwavering support for the couple, who have been classified as "state hostages" by the French government.
- The grim situation of Cécile and Jacques, who have been imprisoned in Iran since May 2022 over allegations of spying, has been further complicated by the denial of their right to a defense and the lack of access to their case files.
- In the realm of general news, politics, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice, the plight of Cécile and Jacques continues to spark public outcry, with rallies planned across France as the anniversary of their detention approaches.
- In the context of the ongoing tension between France and Iran, the detention of Cécile and Jacques can be seen as part of a larger game, considering the recent arrests of Iranian and French-Iranian citizens in both countries over accusations of terrorism and espionage.
- The French government plans to lodge a complaint against Iran at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, hoping it might bring relief to Cécile and Jacques, one of several European citizens still imprisoned in Iran whose detentions are believed to be politically motivated.
