French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris have been released from prison in Iran after more than three years in detention, President Emmanuel Macron announced late on Tuesday. The couple, accused by Tehran of espionage, are now under French protection in the Iranian capital.
“They are on their way to the French embassy in Tehran,” Macron said on X, calling the release “a first step”. He said discussions were under way to ensure their return to France “as quickly as possible”.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot later confirmed that Kohler and Paris were “in safety at the Residence of France in Tehran, awaiting their definitive release”, adding that they “seem to be in good health”.
Kohler, 41, a high school teacher, and Paris, 72, a retired mathematics teacher, were arrested on 7 May 2022 while visiting Iran as tourists. Their Paris-based lawyers said in a statement to AFP that the release had “ended their arbitrary detention which lasted 1,277 days”.
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Families' relief
For their relatives, the news brought an end to years of anxiety. “I finally managed to cry. From the moment I heard the news, the tears finally came,” said Kohler’s mother, Mireille, speaking to RTL.
In a joint statement, the families said they could now “see the light at the end of the tunnel".
Kohler’s parents called it “an immense relief”, adding that their daughter and her partner were “no longer subjected to the inhuman treatment they had endured”.
The couple had been held in Tehran’s Evin prison, known for its harsh conditions. French authorities repeatedly condemned their treatment, describing it as unjust and politically motivated.
Their lawyer, Martin Pradel, told FranceInfo: "What they experienced was unbearable. We’re talking about a situation that amounted to torture. So the torture stops.”
Conditional freedom
Though freed from prison, Kohler and Paris remain under an Iranian travel ban.
Pradel warned that their “conditional freedom” could last for months or even years if negotiations stall.
“Today, they are not yet free to come home,” he said. “The next step we are waiting for is a return to France.”
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Forced confession
Kohler appeared on Iranian state television in October 2022 in what activists described as a forced confession, a practice common for detainees in Iran and denounced by rights groups as psychological torture.
In the video, she claimed to be working for French intelligence – a statement her family and France said was extracted under duress.
The couple were later sentenced in October to 20 and 17 years in prison for alleged espionage on behalf of France and Israel. Both denied the charges, and French officials said the accusations were fabricated.
France and other European governments have accused Iran of using foreign detainees as leverage in diplomatic negotiations, describing such cases as deliberate “state hostage-taking”.
Kohler and Paris were the last two French citizens officially known to be held in Iran.
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Diplomatic process
The International Court of Justice dropped France’s case over their detention in September, at Paris’s request – a move that coincided with reports of quiet talks between the two countries.
In Soultz-Haut-Rhin, Kohler’s hometown in eastern France, about 30 residents gathered outside the town hall on Tuesday evening, where a large banner with her face has hung for months.
“We’ll really believe it when Cécile and Jacques come to take it down themselves,” said Mayor Marcello Rotolo.
Lucas Kessler, who has campaigned for their release for three years, said: “We weren’t losing hope, but we were starting to ask ourselves more and more questions. It’s great news. We hope to see her soon.”
