‘Worrying disappearance': 18-year-old French national missing in Iran; 20 Europeans under detention in country
An 18-year-old Frenchman, who also holds German citizenship, has gone missing in Iran during a cycling trip that began on June 16, a French diplomatic source was quoted as saying to news agency AFP on Sunday.
The missing teen has been identified as Lennart Monterlos, based on social media posts, particularly from Instagram.
'This disappearance is worrying. We are in contact with the family about this,' the source said, referring to missing person alerts shared online. However, the source could not confirm if Lennart is among the Europeans recently detained in Iran on suspicion of spying for Israel.
According to the French diplomat, Iran is carrying out 'a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages,' and French citizens are strongly advised not to travel to Iran.
The official also warned that Iran is 'targeting French nationals passing through the country, accusing them of espionage and detaining them in appalling conditions,' which, in some cases, fall under the definition of torture under international law.
Iran is believed to be holding around 20 European nationals, many in cases that have not been made public. Several Western countries, including France, accuse Tehran of using these arrests to pressure them for diplomatic concessions.
Among those detained are three more people, currently unidentified, who have also been arrested recently. Iranian authorities claim two of them are Israeli spies, possibly linked to the recent Gaza conflict.
Iran is also holding two French nationals, Cecile Kohler, 40, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72, since 2022. The Iranian government has accused them of spying for Israel, a charge strongly denied by French officials.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has demanded their 'immediate, unconditional release', and said Iran never officially informed France about the charges.
'We are extremely worried about their psychological state and the trauma of the bombings,' Kohler's sister Noemie said in an interview with BFM TV.
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