Tehran [Iran], November 6: Iran has released two French nationals imprisoned for more than three years on spying charges their families rejected, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, though it remains uncertain when they would be allowed to return home.
Expressing "immense relief", Macron said on X on Wednesday that Cecile Kohler, 41, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72 - the last French citizens officially known to be held in Iran - had been released from Evin prison in northern Tehran and were on their way to the French embassy. He welcomed this "first step" and said talks were under way to ensure their return to France.
The pair were arrested in May 2022 while visiting Iran. France had denounced their detention as "unjustified and unfounded", while their families say the trip had been purely touristic in nature. Both teachers, although Paris is retired, were among a number of Europeans caught up in what activists and some Western governments, describe as a deliberate strategy of "hostage-taking" by Iran to extract concessions from the West. (Agencies)
Surce: Qatar Tribune
