William Molinié, edited by Wassila Belhacine
modified to
3:41 p.m., May 13, 2022
A French couple had gone on vacation to Iran for the Easter holidays, but they were never able to return to France. Iranian authorities accuse the couple of wanting to destabilize the country. According to Iranian media, the couple had been under surveillance since entering the country. France demands their immediate release.
France demands the immediate release of two of its nationals arrested in Iran. The couple had left for the Easter holidays, but they were never able to return to France. The Iranian authorities accuse the two Frenchmen of having tried to destabilize the country.
The couple were under surveillance
According to Iranian state television, the two Frenchmen had been under surveillance since entering the country and they had made contact with local education unionists. The couple entered as tourists. The woman is a French teacher. She is also the international representative of the education union Force Ouvrière.
The federal secretary of the organization was worried about not having heard from his collaborator and his companion. This arrest comes in a double context. First of all, an internal context, because the Iranian government faces a revolt of the teaching body. Thirty-eight teachers were arrested and seventeen others are still detained, according to NGOs.
A tense geopolitical context
The geopolitical context is also tense. The European Union negotiator responsible for coordinating the Iranian nuclear talks is currently in the country. For several years, the international community has accused Tehran of conducting foreign hostage diplomacy in order to influence the negotiations.