French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and en route to France after more than three and a half years of detention in Iran, President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday. The pair were released from prison in November but had remained in Iran following their arrest in May 2022.
Kohler and Paris were initially sentenced in October to twenty and seventeen years in prison respectively on espionage charges, which France has described as unfounded. They had been held at the French Embassy in Tehran following their release from prison.
Macron expressed relief and thanked Oman for its mediation role in securing their departure. The release comes as Iran differentiates between nations amid the ongoing conflict, with Macron stating France was not consulted on recent strikes and does not seek escalation.