French Foreign Minister Denounces Spy Charges against Couple Imprisoned in Iran
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Thursday said France had not been formerly notified by Iranian authorities of the charges against French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, which reportedly include spying for Israel.
If confirmed, France would consider the charges 'totally unjustified and unfounded,' Barrot said, calling for the couple's 'immediate, unconditional release.'
According to The AP news, Kohler, 40, and her partner Paris, 72, were arrested in May 2022 and until last month were detained at Tehran's Evin Prison, known for holding dual nationals and Westerners who are used by Iran as bargaining chips in diplomatic negotiations.
A French diplomat was able to meet the pair earlier this week as their families demanded proof they were alive following recent Israeli strikes on the prison.
Kohler's sister, Noemie Kohler, said in an interview broadcast Thursday on BFM TV that the couple were told they had been charged with spying for Israel, conspiracy to overthrow the Iranian regime and 'corruption on Earth.'
'Our understanding ... is that they face death penalty,' she said. 'We're really extremely worried about their psychological state and the trauma of the bombings.'
The visit by the French diplomat took place at a prison south of Tehran but, like some other prisoners, Kohler and Paris were transferred from Evin following the Israeli strikes and their location is unknown, Noemie Kohler said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Rockets fired at Iraq airport, two wounded: Security official
Two rockets struck the military section of Kirkuk Airport in northern Iraq late on Monday, slightly wounding two security personnel, a senior security official told AFP. Another rocket fell on a house in the city of Kirkuk, causing material damage. 'Two Katyusha rockets fell in the military section of Kirkuk Airport,' slightly wounding two security personnel, the official said, requesting anonymity because he is not allowed to speak to the media. One rocket did not explode, according to the official. 'A third rocket struck a house in the Uruba neighborhood,' causing material damage, the source added. The military sector of Kirkuk's airport includes bases for the Iraqi army, the federal police, and the Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of former pro-Iranian paramilitary forces now integrated into the regular armed forces. A security source told the official INA news agency that two rockets struck the military airbase at Kirkuk Airport, one of which fell near the runways, and another hit a house in the city. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attacks. Iraq has long been a battleground of drone and rocket assaults and a fertile land for proxy wars. But it only recently regained a semblance of stability after decades of devastating conflicts and turmoil. Last week, hours before a ceasefire ended the 12-day Iran–Israel war, unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq. The government said it launched a probe into the drone attacks, but it has not yet identified any perpetrators.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
MAGA faithful cheer Trump for pausing Ukraine weapons after bristling at Iran strikes
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is getting praise from his most ardent supporters for withholding some weapons from Ukraine after they recently questioned the Republican leader's commitment to keeping the US out of foreign conflicts. This week's announcement pausing deliveries of key air defense missiles, precision-guided artillery and other equipment to Ukraine comes just a few weeks after Trump ordered the US military to carry out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Bombing those sites in Iran had some hardcore supporters of the 'Make America Great Again' movement openly questioning whether Trump was betraying his vow to keep America out of 'stupid wars' as he inserted the US military into Israel's conflict with Tehran. With the Ukraine pause, which affects a crucial resupply of Patriot missiles, Trump is sending the message to his most enthusiastic backers that he is committed to following through on his campaign pledge to wind down American support for Ukraine's efforts to repel Russia, a conflict he has repeatedly described as a costly boondoggle for US taxpayers. 'The choice was this: either prioritize equipping our own troops with a munition in short supply (and which was used to defend US troops last week) or provide them to a country where there are limited US interests,' Dan Caldwell, who was ousted as a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, posted on X. Caldwell publicly worried before the Iran strikes that US involvement could incite a major war and ultimately cost American lives. Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec, another ardent MAGA backer, warned as Trump weighed whether to carry out strikes on Iran last month that such a move 'would disastrously split the Trump coalition.' He was quick to cheer the news about pausing some weapons deliveries to Ukraine: 'America FIRST,' Posobiec posted on X. Both the White House and the Pentagon have justified the move as being consistent with Trump's campaign pledge to limit US involvement in foreign wars. 'The president was elected on an America first platform to put America first,' Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said. At the same time, the decision is stirring anxiety among those in the more hawkish wing of the Republican Party. Many are flummoxed by Trump's halting the flow of US arms just as Russia accelerates its unrelenting assault on Ukraine. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who hails from a district that former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024, wrote to Trump and the Pentagon on Wednesday expressing 'serious concern' about the decision and requesting an emergency briefing. 'We can't let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin prevail now. President Trump knows that too and it's why he's been advocating for peace,' Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, wrote on X. 'Now is the time to show Putin we mean business. And that starts with ensuring Ukraine has the weapons Congress authorized to pressure Putin to the negotiating table.' Trump spoke by phone with Putin on Thursday, the sixth call between the leaders since Trump's return to office. The leaders discussed Iran, Ukraine and other issues but did not specifically address the suspension of some US weapons shipments to Ukraine, according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign affairs adviser. Zelensky said in Denmark after meeting with major European Union backers that he hopes to talk to Trump in the coming days about the suspension. The administration says it is part of global review of the US stockpile and is a necessary audit after sending nearly $70 billion in arms to Ukraine since Putin launched the war on Ukraine in February 2022. The pause was coordinated by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. Colby, before taking his position, spoke publicly about the need to focus US strategy more on China, widely seen as the United States' biggest economic and military competitor. At his Senate confirmation hearing in March, he said the US doesn't have a 'multi-war military.' 'This is the restrainers like Colby flexing their muscle and saying, 'Hey, the Pacific is more important,'' said retired Navy Adm. Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Backers of a more restrained US foreign policy say the move is necessary, given an unsettled Middle East, rising challenges in Asia and the stress placed on the US defense industrial complex after more than three years of war in Ukraine. 'You're really coming up to the point where continuing to provide aid to Ukraine is putting at risk the US ability to operate in future crises,' said Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities. 'And you don't know when those crises are going to happen.' 'So you have to be a little bit cautious,' she added.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi Crown Prince, Germany's Merz Discuss Regional Developments
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, received a telephone call on Thursday from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. They reviewed bilateral relations and ways to boost and develop them in various fields. They also discussed recent developments and efforts to strengthen security and stability in the region.
