Latest news with #CécileKohler
LeMonde
03-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Macron threatens retaliation after Iran lays new espionage charges on French detainees
President Emmanuel Macron called the fresh indictments a "provocation towards France" and threatened Tehran with "retaliatory measures" if Iran upheld new charges. "We won't wait to answer," he said, adding that he would soon speak to his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian. Cécile Kohler, 40, and Jacques Paris, her 72-year-old partner, have been held in Iran since May 2022 on charges of espionage that their families deny. But Iran has now charged the pair with spying for the Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, as well as "corruption of Earth" and "plotting to overthrow the regime," diplomatic and family sources told AFP Agency on Wednesday, July 2. Tehran has not confirmed the new charges, all three of which carry the death penalty. A French diplomatic source has described the allegations as "completely unfounded." Macron did not mention what retaliation could be applied. But Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said earlier in the day that France would decide whether to reimpose sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, depending on whether Tehran released the pair. "Freeing Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris is an absolute priority for us," Barrot said. "We have always told our interlocutors from the Iranian regime that any decisions on sanctions will be conditional on resolving this issue." Iran officially suspended its cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Wednesday. The move came after a 12-day conflict last month between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and sharply escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Sanctions 'snapback' possible until deadline The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, accuse Iran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies that, but has gradually broken away from its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal that it struck with world powers, after the US pulled out of it in 2018. Israel has maintained ambiguity about its own atomic arsenal, neither officially confirming nor denying its existence, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that its arsenal amounts to 90 nuclear warheads. The landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal provided Tehran with sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme to be monitored by the UN nuclear watchdog. The deal included the possibility of UN sanctions being reimposed through a mechanism called "snapback" if Iran failed to fulfil its commitments, an option that expires in October. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European signatories of the 2015 deal to trigger the "snapback" mechanism and reinstate all UN sanctions on Iran. Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals, many of whose cases have never been publicized, in what some Western governments including France describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions from the West. Three other Europeans, who have not been identified, have also been arrested in the wake of the current conflict, two of whom are accused of spying for Israel, according to authorities.
Roya News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
France says Iran sanctions hinge on release of detained citizens
France said Thursday that any decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran will depend on whether Tehran releases two French nationals accused of spying for 'Israel'. 'Freeing Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris is an absolute priority for us,' said French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. 'We have consistently told our Iranian counterparts that any decisions regarding sanctions will be conditional on resolving this issue.' Kohler and Paris were arrested in Iran in 2022 and have been charged with espionage, allegations that the French government has firmly denied. The statement comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and European governments, and growing pressure within the EU to take a tougher stance on Iran's domestic repression and foreign activities.
France 24
03-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
France demands immediate release of couple held in Iran, warns of sanctions
France said on Thursday it would decide whether to reimpose sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme depending on whether Tehran released two French detainees charged with spying for Israel. "Freeing Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris is an absolute priority for us," Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said. "We have always told our interlocutors from the Iranian regime that any decisions on sanctions will be conditional on resolving this issue." Iran officially suspended its co-operation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Wednesday. The move came after a 12-day conflict last month between Iran and Israel, which saw unprecedented Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and sharply escalated tensions between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United States and other Western countries, along with Israel, accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon. Tehran denies that, but has gradually broken away from its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal it struck with world powers, after the United States pulled out of it in 2018. Israel has maintained ambiguity about its own atomic arsenal, neither officially confirming nor denying it exists, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates its arsenal amounts to 90 nuclear warheads. The landmark 2015 Iran nuclear deal provided Tehran with sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme to be monitored by the UN nuclear watchdog. The deal included the possibility of UN sanctions being reimposed through a mechanism called "snapback" if Iran failed to fulfil its commitments, an option that expires in October. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European signatories of the 2015 deal to trigger the "snapback" mechanism and reinstate all UN sanctions on Iran. Kohler, 40, and Paris, her 72-year-old partner, have been held in Iran since May 2022 on espionage charges their families reject. But Iran has now charged the pair with spying for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, diplomatic and family sources told AFP on Wednesday. They were also accused of "corruption of Earth" and "plotting to overthrow the regime", the sources said. All three charges carry the death penalty. Tehran has not confirmed the new charges. A French diplomatic source described the allegations as "completely unfounded". Iran is believed to hold around 20 European nationals, many of whose cases have never been publicised, in what some Western governments including France describe as a strategy of hostage-taking aimed at extracting concessions from the West. Three other Europeans, who have not been identified, have also been arrested in the wake of the current conflict, two of whom are accused of spying for Israel, according to the authorities.
Asharq Al-Awsat
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
French Foreign Minister Denounces Spy Charges against Couple Imprisoned in Iran
France's foreign minister denounced spy charges reportedly being used to hold two French nationals in Iran for more than three years, saying the allegations are 'unjustified and unfounded." 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.
Toronto Star
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
French foreign minister denounces spy charges against couple imprisoned in Iran
PARIS (AP) — France's foreign minister denounced spy charges reportedly being used to hold two French nationals in Iran for more than three years, saying the allegations are 'unjustified and unfounded.' French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Thursday said France had not been formally notified by Iranian authorities of the charges against French citizens Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, which reportedly include spying for Israel.
