Families of French Prisoners in Iran Gather Outside UN Office in Geneva

A number of family members and supporters of three French citizens imprisoned in Iran sought assistance from the United Nations in an effort to pressure Tehran and raise awareness about their "appalling" situation. Cecile Kohler, a teacher and union activist, and her partner Jacques Paris, who traveled to Iran on a tourist visa, were arrested on April 30, 2022. In addition to them, two other French citizens named Louis Arnaud and "Olivier" are also detained in Iran. France condemned the Islamic Republic's policy of "kidnapping and extortion by officials." Olivier is the first name of this French citizen, and further details about his identity and charges have not yet been disclosed. Family members and supporters of Kohler, Paris, and Arnaud gathered on Monday, May 28, holding images of the detainees, in front of the UN office in Geneva to speak out. Noémie Kohler, Cecile's sister, expressed hope that this gathering could draw international attention to "the situation of our loved ones, our hostages in Iran" and expedite their release. Kohler, speaking in front of the UN headquarters, told AFP, "This is a pure emergency situation; their health is deteriorating, and it is time for this nightmare to end." Silo Arnaud, Louis's mother, also stated at the gathering, "The conditions and their arbitrary detention must be recognized. They must be released as soon as possible." Louis Arnaud, a banking consultant, was arrested over a year and a half ago and was sentenced to five years in prison last November on charges of "propaganda against the regime and acts against the national security of the Islamic Republic." French officials deemed this sentence "unacceptable." The families of Kohler and Arnaud, in addition to the gathering, went to Geneva with their lawyers to ask the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a body of independent experts mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, to appeal the detention orders. The family of Cecile Kohler called for more efforts from France to secure her release from the Islamic Republic's prison. Martin Pradel, one of the lawyers present at the gathering, stated that the detention of Cecile Kohler, Jacques Paris, and Louis Arnaud does not comply with the standards of international conventions ratified by Iran and should therefore be classified as arbitrary action. He called for more serious actions from the French government to secure the release of these individuals. Meanwhile, previous French responses to the detention of these individuals have been described by the Iranian government as "interventionist actions."