French Citizen Detained in Iran for Over Two Years Reveals His Identity

A French man who has been detained in Iran since autumn 2022 revealed his identity on Monday, January 13, in a voice message broadcast by a French radio station, expressing that he is increasingly tired of his situation. Olivier Grondot, 34, had previously been introduced only by his first name, and French officials had not released details of his case. In the voice message aired on France Inter, Grondot fully introduced himself and warned that he and two other French citizens detained in Iran are 'tired.' The other two French nationals currently held in Iran are a teacher named Cecile Kohler and her partner Jacques Paris, who were arrested in May 2022. They are accused of attempting to incite labor protests, allegations that their families strongly deny. In his voice message, Grondot addressed French officials, saying, 'You who have the power to influence this matter, hear this truth.' He added, 'The strength and ability of Cecile, the strength of Jacques, the strength of Olivier -- all are waning. It is your responsibility to act for the survival of three human beings.' Grondot was arrested in autumn 2022 in Shiraz and sentenced to five years in prison for 'conspiracy against the Islamic Republic.' His mother, Therese Grondot, informed France Inter about this. France summoned the Iranian ambassador and described the detention of its citizens as hostage-taking. His family has denied the allegations and described Grondot as someone passionate about Persian poetry who traveled to Iran on a tourist visa as part of a global journey. On Friday, France summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest the detention of these three individuals, describing them as 'state hostages.' The French Foreign Ministry stated, 'Their situation is unbearable, with detention conditions that are inhumane and, for some, constitute torture under international law.' These tensions have arisen as an Italian journalist named Cecilia Sala, who had been detained in Iran since December, was released earlier this month and returned to Rome. The Italian Prime Minister's office announced that her swift release, in contrast to the prolonged detention of French nationals, was the result of 'intensive work through diplomatic and intelligence channels' by the Meloni government. Foreign ministries whose citizens are detained in Iran sometimes advise families to refrain from publicly announcing their loved ones' detention, hoping the matter can be resolved behind the scenes.