Iran this week released two French citizens who had been imprisoned since 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday.
Mr. Macron confirmed on social media that Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Paris, 72, were beginning their trip home.
“Immense relief! Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, held for three years in Iran, have been released from Evin prison and are on their way to the French Embassy in Tehran,” Mr. Macron wrote. “I welcome this first step. The dialogue continues to enable their return to France as quickly as possible.”
The two were first detained during a vacation to Iran in 2022 and charged with spying for Israel and “conspiracy to overthrow the Islamic Republic.” The couple denied all charges leveled by Tehran.
The French government filed a criminal case against Iran at the International Court of Justice, accusing the country of illegally detaining the couple in violation of international law.
Mr. Macron withdrew the case following a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New York in September. The talks opened the door to further prisoner swap negotiations.
On Oct. 23, France released Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian arrested in February and accused of promoting terrorism with her social media posts. Ms. Esfandiari, who was a student studying in Lyon, had allegedly promoted posts praising Hamas.
