Louis Arnaud: The Islamic Republic Treats Prisoners Like 'Animals'

Louis Arnaud, a French citizen who was released from Evin Prison by the Islamic Republic after two years of imprisonment last June, spoke in his first media interview after his release about his arrest, imprisonment, and freedom. He had traveled to Iran as a tourist to learn more about its culture and civilization but was arrested during widespread protests in 2022 and sentenced to five years in prison on security charges by the Iranian judiciary. In an interview with France 24, Arnaud stated that the authorities take every action to destroy the personality, dignity, and human identity of prisoners. He further added that by participating in this television program, he wants to raise awareness about his experiences, other French and foreign hostages in Iranian prisons, and the repression of Iranian citizens and opponents by the Iranian government. According to Arnaud, the Islamic Republic has taken seven French citizens hostage in recent years, three of whom are still imprisoned in Iran. Expressing regret over the continued imprisonment of these French citizens, he mentioned that several other foreign hostages, including Ahmadreza Jalali, an Iranian-Swedish citizen sentenced to death, are also imprisoned by the Islamic Republic. Arnaud elaborated on his difficult situation in prison, including his detention in the secret detention center 209, which he described as a well-known place for Iranians. He said he was held in a small eight-square-meter cell, without a window, and with a light that was on 24/7, constantly under surveillance by a camera. According to Arnaud, prison officials treat prisoners like 'animals' and take every action to crush their personalities. He added that in this cell, the prisoner's communication with family, friends, and the outside world is cut off, and he only hears the cries, moans, and screams of other prisoners. Arnaud stated that he was imprisoned in this cell for six months, during which he only managed to make three phone calls to his family and French officials under strict security supervision, with officials instructing him on what to say. He continued that all these inhumane actions aim to increase psychological, mental, and physical pressures on the prisoner to force him to confess to all the fabricated and false charges against him. Arnaud said that the officials are 'masters' in torturing prisoners and apply physical and psychological torture to bring them to a point where they confess to anything they want. He added that every prisoner tries to survive these tortures according to their strength, endurance, and capacity, but it is important to understand that in such conditions, there is no easy day, and every second, minute, and day is a struggle for survival that drains all the prisoner's energy and puts them on the brink of collapse. According to Arnaud, this process exists for all prisoners, and they will reach this point. He added that the six months he spent in solitary confinement felt like six years and was an endless nightmare. This French citizen reminded that there are foreign hostages and other Iranian prisoners who have experienced much harsher conditions and have been in prison for years. Arnaud expressed his belief in the efforts of French officials for the release of hostages from his country in Iran and urged them to facilitate the release of other French citizens. He also stated that he wants to contribute to this effort, which is why he accepted the invitation to participate in this television program to raise awareness. Arnaud reminded that thousands of Iranian opponents of the Islamic Republic are also in prisons and are subjected to 'brutal' physical and psychological torture, with the Islamic Republic having executed some of them or being on the brink of execution. This French citizen concluded by stating that he has never participated in any anti-government protests in Iran, all charges against him by the Islamic Republic are baseless, and he was condemned without any evidence. The Arnaud family, during his detention, rejected the claims of Iranian officials, stating that he 'has never been involved in the protest movements in Iran' and 'had no political intent on his trip to Iran.' The other three French prisoners are Cécile Kohler, her partner Jacques Paris, and a man named Olivier Grondin. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the detention of these four individuals as 'state hostage-taking' and 'ongoing extortion' by the Islamic Republic, strongly condemning this action by the Iranian government. Human rights groups believe that the Islamic Republic is seeking to gain leverage from other countries by detaining foreign nationals. The Islamic Republic has denied this accusation and dismisses the detention of individuals as a diplomatic pressure tactic.