Catherine Colonna also called for respect for “civil and political rights” in Iran and “non-interference” from Tehran in its neighborhood.
The head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna asked her Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian this Tuesday, December 20, for the “release of hostages” French detained by Iran, respect for “civil and political rightsin Iran and thenon-interferenceof Tehran in its vicinity.
“I spoke to him briefly in the summit hall to ask him again for the release of the hostages who are being held by Iran and for full respect for international humanitarian law and international law in general.“, she said at a press conference after a regional summit on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan.
According to the French authorities, seven French people are now detained in Iran, including Cécile Kohler, a teacher and trade unionist, and her companion Jacques Paris. In addition to this couple arrested in early May while sightseeing in Iran, there is Franco-Iranian researcher Fariba Adelkhah, arrested in June 2019 and then sentenced to five years in prison for undermining national security, as well as Benjamin Brière, arrested in May 2020 and sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison for espionage.
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