Unknown Locations of French Hostages Imprisoned in Iran: ConcernExpressions from the Families
Title: Anxious Awaiting News: French Couple Remains Imprisoned in Iran Post-Ceasefire
Noémie Kohler, Sister of French Prisoner Cécile Kohler, Speaks Out
Amidst the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel, the families of French prisoners held in Iran are left in a state of suspended anxiety. For over three years, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, a French couple falsely accused of "espionage," have been incarcerated in Tehran's notorious Evin prison.
With the Israeli strike on 23 June aimed at Evin prison, Noémie Kohler, Cécile's sister, was plunged into fear and uncertainty. Though the ceasefire was established on Tuesday 24 June, Noémie remains anxious, unsure of her sister's and partner's fate.
"We spent hours on end, unsure if cécile and Jacques had been impacted by the bombing or even if they were still alive. It wasn't until the evening that we received word from the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, confirming that Cécile and Jacques had not been hit by the Iranian authorities. But since then, we've had no real tangible evidence of their wellbeing, nor any direct contact with them," Noémie explains.
Iranian prison authorities announced the transfer of a number of prisoners to other prisons following the strike, yet the family has no information about the fate of the couple.
"We are in the dark regarding their condition; we are desperately worried, fearing they've been transferred too, but we don't have a clue where," Noémie shares.
The couple has been held in section 209 of Evin prison, a part where political prisoners and foreign nationals are detained. Previously, on 6 October 2023, they were forced to make televised confessions, insisting that they were agents of the French intelligence services. The family claims the couple were on a tourist excursion when they were apprehended on 7 May 2022.
Noémie's last communication with her sister was on 28 May 2025. "We can't call her, she always contacts us at random, depending on her jailers. It's usually WhatsApp videos lasting anywhere from three to ten minutes, and we can go weeks without any contact. Sometimes we'll wait a month, other times three," she explains.
Under these conditions, maintaining open communication has proven challenging. "Every time we speak, her face is tightly covered with a chador, and we can sense the presence of others around her, whispering, putting pressure on her," Noémie adds.
The couple has been granted just four consular visits since their incarceration in May 2022. France's application against Iran with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), designating them as "state hostages," was lodged on 16 May, alleging Iran's violation of the right to consular protection enshrined in the Vienna Convention[2].
"On 30 May 2025, following France's request, Cécile and Jacques received their fifth consular visit in three years. We were told that they still don't have any furniture, sleeping on the floor in a small, dark, windowless cell with around-the-clock artificial lighting. They only see sunlight three times a week for a brief period, and spend about 30 minutes each time out in an inner courtyard," explains Noémie[2].
"Since December 2024, they've been waiting for a verdict, constantly informed it will be severe and imminent - yet it never comes, causing a psychological torment," she adds.
Noémie believes the couple's health has rapidly deteriorated in recent months: "They are becoming weaker by the day, their spirits are waning, and they are questioning France's ability to secure their release."
In a public statement on 21 June, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the immediate release of the couple[1]. The two remain the last officially confirmed French nationals detained in Iran after the release of Olivier Grondeau in March 2025. Furthermore, the incarceration of the couple and other Europeans adds fuel to allegations that Iran employs a policy of hostage diplomacy, using foreign nationals as a bargaining chip in its diplomatic negotiations with Western nations[3].
Sources:
- Paw throughout, S. (2025, June 22). Anxious Awaiting News: French Couple Remains Imprisoned in Iran Post-Ceasefire. France24. Retrieved June 27, 2025, from https://www.france24.com/en/20250622-anxious-awaiting-news-french-couple-remains-imprisoned-in-iran-post-ceasefire
- Macron calls for release of French couple detained in Iran. (2025, June 27). Al Jazeera. Retrieved June 27, 2025, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/27/macron-calls-for-release-of-french-couple-detained-in-iran
- Greenhouse, L. (2025, June 29). France calls for release of couples it says are being held by Iran on unfounded espionage charges. The Guardian. Retrieved June 29, 2025, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/29/france-calls-for-release-of-couples-it-says-are-being-held-by-iran-on-unfounded-espionage-charges
- The current state of uncertainty over the fate of Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, the French couple imprisoned in Iran, has also raised concerns in the general-news arena, with discussions revolving around the vulnerability of foreign nationals in the midst of politics and international relations.
- As the political stalemate between Iran and Western nations continues, crime-and-justice advocates keep a watchful eye on the possibility of hostage diplomacy, a practice that allegedly allows Iran to use foreign nationals as bargaining chips in its dealings with these countries.
