France Summons Islamic Republic Ambassador; Protests Against Iran's 'Hostage-Taking'

On Friday, January 21, France summoned the ambassador of the Islamic Republic regarding the issue of French citizens who have been 'taken hostage' by the Iranian government. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated its recent warnings about the dangers of travel for French citizens to Iran, calling the situation of detained French citizens in Iran 'intolerable' and stating that, according to international law, detention without respect for human dignity constitutes 'torture.' In the Ministry's statement, these French citizens were referred to as 'hostages of the Islamic Republic of Iran.' Cecile Kohler, a French trade union activist, and her husband Jacques Paris have been imprisoned in Ward 209 of Evin Prison, which is under the supervision of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Intelligence, since their arrest in May 2022. Iranian security forces detained them after meeting with several labor and teacher activists and later accused them of 'espionage.' Another man known only by the first name 'Olivier' is also among the French citizens imprisoned in Iran. In recent years, the Islamic Republic has detained dozens of dual citizens and foreigners, mainly on charges of espionage and security-related offenses. In one of the latest cases, a Swiss citizen who was imprisoned in Iran on charges of 'espionage' died on Thursday, January 20. In response, the Swiss government requested detailed information from the Islamic Republic regarding the reasons for the detention and the circumstances leading to the death of one of its citizens in an Iranian prison. The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement sent to the Persian section of Voice of America that Iranian government officials informed the Swiss embassy in Tehran on December 20 that a 64-year-old Swiss man had been detained on suspicion of 'espionage.' Additionally, Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist who was in Iran on a press visa, was arrested by the Islamic Republic three days after the detention of Mohammad Abedini Najafabadi at Milan Airport on December 25. The United States and European countries accuse the Islamic Republic of 'hostage-taking' by detaining dual citizens and foreigners to exchange them for their prisoners in other countries. In 2015, coinciding with the nuclear agreement, the Islamic Republic exchanged five foreign and dual citizens for Iranian prisoners in the United States. Senior diplomats from France, Britain, and Germany are scheduled to meet with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva on Monday, January 24, to discuss bilateral issues and the future of nuclear negotiations. Diplomatic sources indicate that around 20 European citizens from 10 countries have been detained and effectively taken hostage by the Islamic Republic. France has urged its citizens not to travel to Iran until the 'freedom of hostages' is secured.